When Mangas Collide
by TwoHatchets
Summary: Bakugou's life is thrown for a loop when a trio of shinobi infiltrates his school as his new classmates. As Bakugou gets to know them, he discovers that they travel across dimensions in an effort to give everyone they meet a happy ending. Upon discovering their true identities and mission, Bakugou helps them with their plan to save his classmates from an unknown enemy.
1. A Fateful Meeting

_**Full Summary:**_

_**Bakugou's life is thrown for a loop when a trio of shinobi infiltrates his school as his new classmates. As Bakugou gets to know them, he discovers that they travel across dimensions in an effort to give everyone they meet a happy ending. Originally summoned by his homeroom teacher in an effort to change a terrible future seen in a dream. Upon discovering their true identities and mission, Bakugou helps them with their plan to save his classmates from an unknown enemy. If Bakugou wants to be a true hero, he needs to not only get stronger in ways he never considered, but will also need to become a great leader as well. Protecting his class from certain doom should be a good start. If Deku is destined to be this world's greatest hero, Bakugou will aim even higher, and train to be the greatest hero of multiple worlds with the help of his new friends Kyo, Tohru and Tsubasa.**_

* * *

The world of Boku no Hero Academia rested peacefully for the night. The last of the civilians, pro-heroes and heroes-in-training turning in for a long-awaited rest after the UA's Cultural Festival. All was well-in this world, at least. The world adjacent to it, however, was in the midst of eternal war, plagued by death and overrun with gigantic Titans with a taste for human flesh. In another universe, two golden-haired brothers traveled the country to restore their original bodies through the power of a tiny crimson stone. In yet another, an idealistic high school student wrote the names of criminals in an accursed notebook while he dramatically ate potato chips.

These worlds-and countless others-continued to exist alongside one another, for the most part, utterly oblivious to the plights of others adjacent to them. Only a selected few were aware of the existence of these other universes,' and even fewer could do anything with this knowledge. Those aware had most likely seen it in a dream. For the World of Dreams was one everyone visited in their sleep, even if most were oblivious of this fact.

It was from this shared reality that a compelling ability was created. The power to use dreams to see future events, possibly even the ability to visit other beings through shared dreams, if their wills proved to be strong enough. A power commonly known across various dimensions as Dream-Walking.

An ability born from a desperate need to change an undesirable fate, such was the case of one underground hero. While other heroes of his world sometimes developed another form of latent power to predict disaster, known as the _Hero Sense, _this hero's dormant ability was one from a long-forgotten bloodline.

**_Aizawa P. O. V._**

Aizawa Shouta didn't understand the weird sixth sense ability some heroes had when it came to predicting disasters. The fidgety intensity which rolled off of Bakugou, Midoriya and All Might right before catastrophe struck was something he learned to watch out for in them, but knew he'd never be able to emulate. Aizawa's eyes were his power, so he tended to trust their ability to assess the situation above random gut feelings. Besides, he inherited his own personal way of predicting future events.

As a kid, Aizawa grew up hearing stories of how his family had once possessed prophetic eye abilities before quirks were discovered. This ability eventually diluting within his family over time as quirks became commonplace; until it became nothing more than the occasional vivid dream and instances of dèjá vu. It wasn't much, but it was something, at least. And with his beloved class becoming the targets of more and more villain attacks, Aizawa would gladly take any advantage he could get if it meant protecting them.

When the shaggy-haired teacher found himself in the familiar black nothingness which indicated he was about to experience another prophetic dream, he prepared himself. Ready to take in every last detail in with the hope he could remember any potentially essential pieces of information given to him.

This ominous void comprised mostly of dark empty space, though murky clouds slowly shifted overhead and along the ground. Images would be displayed within their depths in confusing fragments, making them distorted at crucial moments. Different scenes played in each dream cloud, reminiscent of an old film, forcing Aizawa to divide his attention between them all.

Noises had a habit of continually fluctuating within the space. While paying close attention to one dream, a sudden commotion from another would rip the pro-hero's attention away from the scene, or voices from one dream would fade out mid-sentence. Regardless, the underground hero trudged on. Walking through the void as dream clouds displayed short scenes all around him.

The floor matched the rest of the space, making it difficult to determine where the floor ended, and the sky started. Often giving the underground hero the sensation of falling despite his bare feet being firmly planted on the ground. The marble-like floor smooth and cool to the touch.

He casually adjusted his capture weapon on his shoulders. Aizawa had always appeared in this space in the clothes he had fallen asleep in, but for some reason, his capture weapon and goggles always accompanied him here as well. Aizawa smirked fondly as he reminisced about his first trip here. It had been a few days before he started his first year at UA. He had dreamt of meeting a loud-mouthed kid with sunglasses, and the other had been him creating his signature weapon and goggles.

Despite its dark appearance, Aizawa admitted this place never felt menacing. He couldn't explain it, but the shaggy-haired man felt the space itself welcomed the company. He assumed most people were unable to see this space for what it truly was. Instead, they were confined to one of their many dream clouds. Living through its pleasant nonsense until waking, as he did when he didn't exist in this dimension.

Ignorance was bliss, after all.

The raven-haired instructor halted in front of a wall of more significant clouds. Looking up at them humbly. If Aizawa managed to get enough sleep-i.e., he wasn't woken up because two students were caught fighting in the middle of the night- and he kept a steady pace through the minor clouds along the way. The underground hero would be treated with a chance to see more influential events on these massive clouds.

After the first villain attack, he had attempted to ignore the smaller clouds in an arrogant attempt to skip to what he perceived to be the most important dreams. That proved to be a colossal mistake. Aizawa had been rewarded with nothing. _Absolutely nothing._ The void's clouds had slowly dissipated until none were left. However, as the last cloud disappeared into nothing, a blood-curdling scream rang out that made him sick to his stomach.

It had been Midoriya.

After months of sleepless, dreamless nights, he would relive that gut-wrenching scream the night of Bakugou's kidnapping.

The dreams graciously continued after that. With their return, Aizawa vowed that he would no longer take his powers for granted. He made an effort to take better care of himself. Made sure he got at least one night of good sleep a week, took extra care to pay attention to everything given to him, and took steps to allow certain events to happen as they were shown.

As an instructor, Aizawa did not want his students involved in the rescue of Eri. Rightfully thinking it would be too dangerous. But after a dream showcased what would happen if they didn't tag along, he begrudgingly changed his mind. Even went so far as to convince the rest of the heroes involved to let them join the rescue team, though he had never been able to disclose precisely why he needed them to be involved. It had cost him a few favors, a couple burned bridges and a promise to never speak badly to the press again to accomplish that feat. But it was well worth it in the end. Now he was the adoptive father of the cutest little girl in the world.

The shaggy-haired man patiently waited for the towering wall of clouds to come to life with premonitions of what was in store for his class. So far, the images he'd witnessed were the usual class shenanigans. Aoyama's pants falling down during training, Sato angry someone had stolen a tray of cupcakes he was making for the dorm movie night, the girls singing karaoke for their monthly "Girl's night." Iida angrily chopping the air after someone used Kirishima's hair dye to color his hair purple and, of course, the self-named, _"Bakusquad,"_ getting detention. Most likely from the said prank. Though Kirishima looked close to tears, so he would make a note that he was probably not responsible for it. Aizawa should thank his lucky stars if his only worry was whether or not Kirishima was wrongfully punished for a prank he didn't commit.

A flash of light, reminiscent of lighting, announced the beginning of another dream. Aizawa crossed his arms in preparation for what this next series of scenes would reveal to him. As always, the images started slowly at first before steadily increasing their momentum.

Images, sounds, and sensations were going through his mind at blinding speeds. Most flying by too fast for him to make sense of. The premonitions confusing and muddling his mind to the point it physically hurt. The cheerful images of the previous visions morphed into terrible darker images before his eyes. The old injuries below his eyes aching with renewed pain as he continued to watch the scenes unfold before him in absolute horror.

Through the chaos, Aizawa was able to discern Class-A's usual laughter transform into terrified screams. Watched helplessly as quirks went haywire or failed to activate altogether. Most notably, walls of ice struggling to form, only for them to shatter with the softest touch, Darkshadow raging out of control and attacking other classmates against his will. Kaminari unable to switch off his quirk and electrocuting himself, Mina facing off with a shadowy figure, her face terrified when her quirk refused to activate. Then there was Deku yelling as he faced off with a faceless villain. His body broken-the newfound control he acquired nowhere in sight.

It was too much.

The images, the screams, and the uncontrollable fear the underground hero felt from them, as clear as if they were his own emotions. It was all too much for him to handle. Aizawa couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't even look away from the carnage, for the visions played all around him. Each more painful than the last. Too distracted by the pain in his own heart to notice the world around him started to crack at his feet.

As if to further inflict pain, the misty images began to piece together, to create a more imposing spectacle. Displayed within it were the cold glowing eyes of a nomu accompanied by a shadowy figure. Both of which looked down at his terrified students who continued to fight for their lives, with sick fascination. There was also Kirishima's usually bright smile, now reduced to a pained grimace as he laid broken and bleeding heavily at a villain's feet. The villain in question preparing to aim a blow at his victim's vulnerable form.

Before he made contact, the image shifted to Bakugou, furiously blowing through the chaos to get to his friend. Only to be taken by surprise by a sudden explosion. The aggravated yell Bakugou let out when he was swallowed up by flames, soon shifted into a pained scream, which was suddenly cut off short. The resulting inferno began to bleed into the rest of the dreams until only the death screams of the rest of his class could be heard.

The eraser hero wasn't exactly sure when he had fallen to his knees. But there he was, crouched on the ground as his world burned all around him. His dark tired eyes stared blankly at the blaze in front of him. Not daring to look at the ground in case he saw the burning corpse of one of his students.

"No...," Aizawa whispered hoarsely. His throat was raw as if he had been in the fire as well. He tightened his grip on his capture weapon instinctively, his body involuntarily shaking in-not fear, but unfiltered rage.

"No!" Aizawa snarled, pushing himself to his feet. Eyes subconsciously flaring red, which caused the fissures at his feet cracked even further.

"So that's it?! That's what we get after dedicating our lives to protect people? We get to train, develop, and then lead the next generation of heroes to their deaths?!" Aizawa yelled to the void in unrestrained anger. Abandoning all reason or cares about how ridiculous he probably looked yelling at no one in particular. A small part of him realized how much he resembled Bakugou at this moment, though the rest of him didn't care. In fact, he felt like he understood his explosive student a little better now. Taking this to heart, he continued to yell all of his frustrations into the nothingness around him in a rare instance of vulnerability.

Aizawa was enraged.

Infuriated that with all the quirks and resources UA and the professional heroes had to offer, they still couldn't manage to keep one class of future heroes out of harm's way! Angry a month couldn't go by without a villain attack, villain encounter, serious injury, or gods forbid a group of his students doing vigilante work behind his back. Frustrated, that despite all the progress, his ragtag group of students worked so hard to accomplish, it would all be for nothing if fate had anything to say about.

"Screw you, Fate..." Aizawa finished, winded from his uncharacteristic tirade. His throat was so raw he could taste blood in the back of his throat. But that hardly mattered. The underground hero swore to himself that he would find a way to protect his class. Aizawa would not let these events transpire the way they were shown. That he would fight any villain thrown his way. Even prepared to sacrifice himself if that was what it took to keep them all safe.

A boisterous crack rang through the void. Breaking Aizawa out of his thoughts. Looking down, he finally noticed the fissures under his feet had spread out all over. The once sturdy ground, now on the brink of collapsing. Some shards had already fallen into the dark abyss below. His glowing eyes studied the ground for a moment before blinking. The shaggy raven hair immediately falling to rest gently on his shoulders. The slight movement was all that was needed to create the last crack, which forcibly plunged Aizawa into the depths below.

Present Mic. had once told Aizawa if you fell in your sleep, you would wake up. He was wrong. The shaggy-haired man fell through the floor and would have crashed hard into the water below had he not used his capture weapon to slow his fall by grabbing a still attached piece of...ceiling?

The fragment broke off immediately, but it slowed him down enough to only twist his ankle slightly upon landing. An injury that would no doubt transfer to his physical body once the hero woke up. He made a mental note to make Present Mic. pay for this later.

The sound of falling water took his attention away from the pain in his ankle. Around him were various small waterfalls that seemed to emit a vibrant blue sparkly light of their own. His eyes traced up their length in curiosity, but they eventually disappeared from view. Oddly, they seemed to start higher than where he had fallen. Looking down, he discovered his bare feet effortlessly balanced on the glowing water's surface, which constantly rippled from the numerous waterfalls. However, when he placed a hand on the water's surface, he discovered that he could actually reach within its depths if he wished to.

Dream clouds from his own dream world slowly started drifting into this new area. As they descended, their forms gradually transformed from dark hazy clouds to white fluffy ones and eventually turned to ice when it came into contact with one of the waterfalls. Creating entrancing frozen mirrors in its place.

The once gloomy images displayed inside them changed and became more explicit, thanks to its new form. Aizawa's initial thought was that the scenes were simply repeating themselves since he saw quirks were still going haywire. However, on closer inspection, he realized the outcomes were changing.

A wall of struggling ice flashed towards an enemy. It shatters with ease, just like before, only this time waiting behind the obstruction of view was Todoroki and Uraraka. Taking the villain by surprise, they quickly take them down and restrain them with a long chain. Another scene depicted Kaminari, Mina, and even Sero taking on enemies with an assortment of weapons instead of relying on their quirks. Accompanying these revised visions were numerous scenes of the rest of his class defending themselves without their quirks, with a precision and expertise in martial arts and weaponry skills that amazed even Aizawa. Some of his students actually seemed to be enjoying themselves despite the threat of certain death looming over them.

Kirishima's broken and bloody form transformed into him, flashing a familiar shark-toothed grin as he stood side by side with a girl Aizawa didn't recognize. She had bright sapphire eyes and long brown hair with long dangly blue ribbons tied on either side of her head. Both were scuffed up a bit, but their eyes shined with determination as they held their weapons toward an unseen enemy.

Another scene showed Bakugou back to back with another kid he didn't recognize. This kid had bright orange hair and mischievous red eyes. They both had clearly been through the wringer, their clothes scorched and tattered beyond salvation. Regardless, they still maintained matching determined-if not a little psychotic-expressions on their faces as they taunted their foes, kunai in hands.

Everything suddenly stopped. Not just the scenes shown within the frozen mirrors, but the ever-shifting tendrils of the misty clouds and waterfalls as well. Making this new void so painfully silent and unnerving.

Sensing another presence, Aizawa immediately twirled around. Casting his capture weapon at one of the nearby waterfalls, activating his eraser quirk as he did so. The carbon fiber weapon managed to catch something just out of sight within the water. A sword suddenly broke through the cascade a second later. Halting just short of his throat.

Aizawa let out an annoyed _tsk._ His glowing eyes peering through the fall for any sign of movement.

The scuffle had expelled most of the frozen-in-time water to reveal a teenager with short light brown hair wielding twin swords. Despite feeling the icy cold of steel against his throat, Aizawa couldn't help but feel more unnerved by how his attacker appeared to be the same age as his students. The teen was dressed in a black tank top, white cargo pants, black combat boots, and gloves, a beaten pair of silver goggles hung around his neck with a worn dark green cloak completing his ensemble.

Tension in Aizawa's hand stole his attention. Following the length of his scarf, he discovered his weapon struggling to secure one of the teenager's wrists to his other sword. Twisting the child's arm in such a manner the underground hero assumed was an uncomfortable position for him. However, no pain reflected in the youths' cold brown eyes as he too assessed the situation he suddenly found himself in.

"I don't want to hurt you. But I will if you don't leave here now," the brunette ordered, using the point of one of his swords to lift Aizawa's chin threateningly. His unique accent took the hero by surprise. Sounding both foreign, yet vaguely familiar at the same time. The flash of recognition did not go unnoticed by the sword wielder. "Who are you?" he asked puzzled.

In a show of good faith, the shaggy-haired man slackened his weapon a few degrees before answering, "My name is Shota Aizawa," the hero answered truthfully. His stance still guarded and on high alert. Aizawa's sharp eyes didn't miss the way the kid seemed to breathe a little easier once the tension on his wrist was gone. Noting the subtle rotating movement, he tried to hide as he assessed the damage done. "I came here by mistake. I'm not entirely sure what this place is either."

The teen's eyes casually drifted to the hovering images around them. Observing how they not only transformed but also became clearer upon mixing with his own dreams. Amber eyes lingered on the visions directly behind Aizawa for a moment before the teen slowly relaxed out of his stance.

"I believe we've gotten off on the wrong foot," he announced, withdrawing the blade from Aizawa's exposed neck until it rested at his side. "My name is Tsubasa."

The underground hero blinked, allowing his glowing red eyes to fade back to their standard charcoal color. Feeling a little better now that the blade no longer rested against his throat, but he kept his loose hold on Tsubasa. Years of hero experience unwilling to let him give up his only advantage under these questionable circumstances. He also didn't miss how Tsubasa had failed to provide his surname.

"Where are you from?" he asked in an attempt to extract more information about the brunette's intentions. "I've heard your accent before. You're not from Japan?" Aizawa determined but wasn't positive.

"I am not," the brunette admitted hesitantly. Choosing his words with care. His light brown eyes regarding the man before him thoughtfully before continuing. "I am from the Land of Fire, though my accent is from my mother's tribe, which no longer exists. My brothers and I being the last of this bloodline."

"Land of Fire? Where is that?" Aizawa asked, puzzled. He might not look like it, but the scruffy hero had been a model student when he attended UA. Excelling in all subjects, especially International Hero Politics. "That's not a real place," the underground hero argued, his eyes narrowing in renewed suspicion. The captured weapon was beginning to tighten around his target once more.

The teen maintained eye contact with the suspicious hero before him. "It might not exist in your world, but I can assure you, it_ is _a real place," Tsubasa tried to explain, gesturing with his hand before the movement was restricted again. The teen frowned at the wraps around his wrist.

"I understand your apprehension, but you have nothing to fear from me," The teen assured, tugging slightly at his restraints. "I believe you broke through my dream for a reason." Tsubasa determined, using his free sword to point at the images behind his captor.

"What do you mean?" Aizawa asked warily, risking a brief glance behind him.

"Allow me to show you," Tsubasa responded, his once brown eyes now glowing a silvery blue.

Movement on the water covered floor caught Aizawa's attention. The water's reflection revealed Tsubasa with magnificent eagle wings on his back. However, his real body remained as it was. Before Aizawa could comment on it, Tsubasa pointed toward a few of the small waterfalls around them with his free sword. They immediately began to widen and merge to create a towering wall of falling water before them. A few places iced over from the combination of both their dreams colliding, like smudges on a screen, that Tsubasa was unable to bend to his will.

"These were the dreams I was experiencing before you broke through. They didn't make any sense until I saw the remnants of yours." Tsubasa explained as new images began to play.

Never had Aizawa experienced dreams as clearly as he did when he gazed up at the scenes reflected in the massive wall of water. Projected on a surface easily as large as a screen from a movie theater, with only some distortion from the moving water. The first scene was of Tsubasa and the two other teens Aizawa recognized from his previous dreams. They were wearing UA uniforms and chatted happily with his students in the cafeteria. This scene changed to the trio teaching the future heroes hand to hand combat as well as weaponry skills. The water rippled to reveal another scene of Tsubasa, this time speaking with a boy with spiky purple hair and tired eyes which rivaled Aizawa's own. Immediately recognizing him as Shinso. Aizawa had just enough time to wonder how he fitted into all this before the image changed to Kirishima and the brunette sparring in the gyms after hours. Both sporting smiles that rivaled the sun.

The last scene was of two explosive boys with red eyes sparring with explosions as well as weapons. The gigantic waterfall could barely keep up with their speed and intensity. It struggled to contain the force of their explosions. Each one shooting water in all directions, soaking both spectators in the process. With a final boom, the dream shattered as the waterfall itself exploded, sending water everywhere. The sound of chaotic laughter echoing alongside the water raining down around them.

Tsubasa turned to Aizawa. His eyes ominous eyes flickering back to their standard color, along with his perplexing reflection. "As you can see, it appears my group is intended to help you guys out," he explained, wobbling on his feet slightly. Resting a hand on his sword, which was planted firmly in the water, to stable himself. "You weren't in any of my dreams, so I didn't make the connection at first."

"How did you do that?" Aizawa asked in a mixture of astonishment and suspicion. He had never been one to easily put his trust in others. Especially after seeing disturbing images of his students getting slaughtered before his very eyes. Having a stranger suddenly appear, promising to save his students from certain death was just too convenient to be a mere coincidence. However, a small part of him longed for it to be true. His eyes studied the teen still in his grasp for a few moments before Aizawa continued to prod him for information, "How do I know these images were really depicting future events and weren't an illusion you created with your Quirk?"

"Quirk?" the sword wielder repeated, his head cocking to one side in confusion. His free hand absently scratched the back of his head as he tried to figure out what his captor meant.

Troubled amber eyes stared into suspicious charcoal ones.

"I don't know what you mean by '_Quirk,' _but the images you saw were real. Just as real as yours," he assured after awhile. Realizing the man in front of him didn't look convinced, Tsubasa continued. "Besides, no matter how strong one's dream abilities are, they cannot be used to fool another Dream Walker."

It was Aizawa's turn to be confused. "What is a Dream Walker?"

Tsubasa smiled at his inquiry. "I see you still have a lot to learn about your powers, the World-of-Dreams, and the infinite number of worlds beyond your own," the teen determined, motioning to the space around them. Using his sword to point to the faint outline of the hole, Aizawa fell through. "When you broke through your dream world in the hope of changing fate through sheer will power alone, you Aizawa Shouta became a Dream Walker," Tsubasa explained matter of fact.

"Other worlds? You keep saying that, but that's not..." Aizawa began, before a memory long forgotten resurfaced.

The underground hero vaguely remembered a girl-a young woman-with long dark brown hair, wolf ears, and a tail; rescue him from villains when he was a kid. How her eyes glowed a silvery blue when she fought. She had been doing vigilante work, which, of course, was illegal at the time. Though laws had never stopped her from saving people. Aizawa recalled her saying how she never understood how this world was so hung up on rules and regulations when it came to helping people in need. He remembered the way she disappeared in a show of colorful lights so dazzling and surreal, Aizawa had dismissed it as a dream. Her voice so warm and friendly, with an accent he had never experienced again. That was until today.

Curious amber orbs watched Aizawa closely.

"The idea that other worlds exist outside of your own might be difficult to believe, but it is true. My family has been traveling between worlds for generations, and we've still only visited a small number of them."

"Your family?" Aizawa repeated. Once again, recalling the wolf-eared woman from his past. That would explain the similarities. "When I was a child, I met a woman with wolf ears and tail who claimed to be from another world. Was she a family member of yours?"

A flash of sadness reflected in the teen's brown eyes before they were quickly replaced with their usual warmth. "That would be my mother, Amaya," Tsubasa replied quietly. "She died when I was little."

Aizawa didn't need to press him for any sort of explanation. The sadness that briefly ran across his features told him everything. She had died on the job. It was a look the teacher had seen on many pro-heroes faces over the years. An expression that could never be faked no matter how gifted someone was at deception.

Pushing the thought aside, he continued, "You expect me to believe you travel to different worlds to help strangers out of the goodness of your hearts?"

Tsubasa smirked at that. "Do we need any other reason to help those in need?"

The underground hero smiled at the familiar naive words despite himself. He looked back at his dream clouds, which did appear to be unaffected by Tsubasa's powers. They still displayed glimmers of a hopeful future. The fellow Dream Walker seemed to be telling the truth when he said his powers were unable to affect the contents of his dreams. Only able to provide clarity to them within this space. It would be a considerable gamble to trust him and accept his help to teach his students to protect themselves without their quirks. However, refusing would be certain death.

Aizawa looked back at the teen, expecting him to be studying him carefully as he always did, but was surprised to see him staring at one of the hero's dream clouds instead. It was the one of Bakugou back to back with one of Tsubasa's teammates. Honestly, of all the images, this one surprised Aizawa the most. He figured only Kirishima and the self-proclaimed _Bakusquad_ could ever get that close to Bakugou without risking their lives. But against all the odds, there stood a kid who couldn't have known Bakugou for more than a few months. Fighting side by side with one of his most volatile students in perfect harmony. Not only that, but the mysterious teen managed to get him to use a weapon instead of using his treasured quirk.

Bakugou, not use his quirk?! What a feat! Mr. I-Hate-Everything-Quirkless was not using his quirk-_willingly?_

Aizawa took a closer look at the weapon in the explosive teen's hand. It was a three-pronged kunai.

_Oh. That was why. _

The underground hero looked back at Tsubasa. Noticing for the first time, the heartache within his gentle amber eyes. The twin three-pronged kunai in their hands had been Amaya's prized weapons. He remembered them clearly when she had rescued him as a kid and the time they had spent together up to her departing from his world. Thinking back on it, that must have been the image that was displayed behind him when Tsubasa decided to lower his sword.

_Such a treasured weapon wouldn't be handed over lightly. No wonder Tsubasa decided to trust me so easily, _Aizawa mused to himself. The least he could do was show him the same courtesy. He owed it to his mother.

The Underground hero turned to face the teen before him. Nimble fingers pulling at on his own treasured weapon, freeing Tsubasa from its tense grip. The sudden release broke the brunette out of his thoughts. Aizawa then calmly kneeled, resting an arm on his knee as he does so.

"I, Aizawa Shouta, the Eraser Hero of Musutafu, Japan, hereby implore the services of Tsubasa and company, to save my students from the catastrophe I saw in a dream. Please travel to my world and teach them all to fight without the use of their quirks so they might be spared such a gruesome fate," Aizawa enlisted to the son of his savior.

Tsubasa blinked cutely, shuffling slightly in embarrassment by the sudden formality he received. A smile steadily graced his features when he found the strength to compose himself. With a determined expression, his amber eyes once again glowed a dazzling silvery blue.

A firm hand gently came to rest on one of the kneeling hero's shoulders.

"Before an agreement can be made, please allow me to explain a few things," Tsubasa expressed as magical power began to swell around him with the forming of a contract of services.

A nod from the Aizawa urged the Dream Walker to continue with, "Even if we come to your world to help. There is no guarantee that the terrible events depicted in your dreams won't come to pass. You must understand that it is entirely possible that after all our best efforts,_ some _or _all of us_ will _still die_," Tsubasa warned in a severe tone.

The Dream Walker went on to explain how complicated and possibly dangerous changing fate could end up being. How each person that learned of future events would risk thwarting their preferred outcome since people tended to second-guess their choices. Thus inadvertently creating infinite new possible futures for them to navigate through, each one worse than the one before it.

"Would you still like to put your trust in us?" Tsubasa finally asked when he was done with his explanation.

Determined charcoal eyes meet amber ones.

"Yes," Aizawa answered without hesitation. The pro-hero knew the risks. Understood that he could still be leading his class to utter ruin, but that didn't matter. Aizawa had already promised himself he would do anything to save his students. Accepting these strangers' help would no doubt bring their own consequences, but as long as those repercussions didn't result in death, he would gladly bear them. "Even so, if there is even a glimmer of hope to save them, I will take that chance. So, I implore you to do everything in your power to help me change their fate."

Tsubasa smiled at the man's declaration. He offered a hand to the man kneeling before him. "Then I, Tsubasa Hitsuzen, hereby accept your request on behalf of my teammates. We shall travel to your world and do everything in our power to aid you in your time of need. We offer you our knowledge, our weapons, and powers to you until your quest is fulfilled," Tsubasa vowed, gently pulling Aizawa to his feet. "My family is honored to serve your family once again."

Aizawa and Tsubasa spend the rest of their dream sharing information and creating a plan to save everyone. Once the young dream walker woke in a far off universe, he informed his teammates of their next mission. Hastily making preparations to rendezvous with Aizawa in his world within a week.

As they planned, Aizawa couldn't help but be reminded of Tsubasa's mother when he looked at him. They not only looked similar but acted the same as well. He was reminded again that while this trio of shinobi would be here to help them, they were only kids themselves. The same age as his class as it turned out. Aizawa would be sure to protect them from the trials awaiting them as well. He wouldn't let any of them become a casualty. The next few months were bound to be interesting, to say the least.

* * *

**_I've wanted to write this story for a while now. Even from the first season I could see the similarities between the My Hero Academia characters and the alternate versions of the characters I created. Especially with Bakugou and Kirishima. In the next few chapters I'm sure you'll also see some of the similarities with their powers and personalities. I've also seen some similarities with where the manga. I'm a little annoyed that some of my ideas for this story has already come up in the manga because I wasn't fast enough with my writing. I'll be sure to make a note when I get to a certain chapter about these instances. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story. _**


	2. Trouble In Paradise

**_Kyo P. O. V._**

Kyo felt restless.

You wouldn't know it from how he laid on his back with his arms casually crossed behind his head. His already orange hair seemed to glow even brighter from the light of the setting sun, which shielded his closed eyes from view. The only indication of his restless spirit was how his long tan legs swayed as they hung off the side of the roof of the abandoned house they were currently occupying.

His body longed to leave this world behind. Having been in this dreadful place for almost two months already. They would have left much sooner if it wasn't for... Kyo's arms and chest ached at the memory. He lifted one of his sore arms out in front of him. His tired crimson eyes studied the bandages, which still covered every inch of them.

It had been three weeks since the accident.

Three weeks since Kyo had died at a friend's hands.

Three weeks since his baby brother broke the taboo and rewound time to bring him back, paying the price to do so that he still refused to tell anyone about.

Three weeks since Tsubasa revealed his vision that Kyo's death would trigger his sweet little Tohru to become the Destroyer of Worlds.

Yeah, all of that would surely put anyone in a bad mood.

The copper-haired teen growled to himself. His muscles stiff when he hoisted himself into a sitting position with his arms crossed angrily in front of him. Not only that, but both of his teammates had coddled him nonstop since then. Forbidding him from partaking in any strenuous activity. Hardly letting him out of their sight for even a second.

Even now, he could feel Tohru's worried gaze on him from where she monitored his movements out of the corner of her eye as she tended to the plants in the garden. If it was anyone other than Tohru, he would probably hurl a kunai at them and tell them to mind their own fucking business; but of course, he could never do such a thing to her. Not that it would accomplish anything if he did. She would, no doubt, catch it perfectly in two fingers, as he had taught her to do.

Kyo let out an exasperated sigh. He should try to calm down. It wasn't just the events from the last three weeks which had him on edge. It was the stifling energy in the air. Everything seemed too calm. Too quiet. While he could still hear the same old songbirds singing, they sounded strange. Everything around him sounds quieter somehow. Like his senses tuned out everything that wasn't important.

His ears perked up at the sound of footsteps. Turning his head, he saw his younger brother, Tsubasa, a long way off. Slowly making his way back from the forest.

_Something big must be coming, _Kyo thought to himself. His eyes narrowing at his brother without realizing it. _And this mission Tsubasa was so gung-ho about must be why. _His brother had inherited their mother's foresight ability, but Kyo had always been able to sense shifts in his environment, thanks to his heightened primal instincts.

Frankly, the copper-haired shinobi couldn't figure out why they were doing this. It wasn't that a mission to protect a class of super-powered students from villains was all that strange for them. It was actually a typical gig for them at this point. Kyo was more surprised Tsubasa accepted the job in the first place. He'd been very adamant about staying out of harm's way the past couple of weeks. Waiting for Kyo's body to fully heal. The copper-haired teen had just received permission to start light training again a few days ago, and now they were packed up and ready to go to a new world where they could potentially be fighting powerful enemies? Even though Tsubasa assured them they would mostly be instructing them how to use self-defense tactics, such as hand to hand combat and some weapon training; it just didn't make sense.

He continued to watch Tsubasa's slow approach while he twirled one of his kunai with one finger. A showy habit he acquired when he was lost in thought. It usually wasn't this difficult to understand what Tsubasa's motives were. Kyo could usually read his brother's thoughts and feelings as if they were his own. The perks of coming into this world together. However, whenever he looked at his little brother now, he only saw the eyes of a stranger staring back at him. It had been this way since he had woken up after his accident.

Regardless of Tsubasa's motives, Kyo jumped at the chance to go on a mission; despite his still-healing body. Any mission at this point, as long as it got him off this world, and back to some kind of normalcy. Besides, Kyo would be lying if he said it didn't sound like fun regardless of whether they would be fighting villains or not. He absolutely loved training and fighting. And testing his skills on a whole new group of super-powered people? That was what he lived for! Just thinking of beating them into the ground had him pumped. The thought immediately put a determined smile on his face, which revealed his uncharacteristically sharp canines.

Before long, he caught himself smiling. The stubborn shinobi quickly composed himself. Choosing to pout childishly instead. He refused to let Tsubasa know how excited he was about this new mission. Kyo was still mad at him for risking his life to save him. Also incredibly frustrated, he refused to reveal what the price was to do such a thing. It couldn't be anything good. Kyo might be a bit of an idiot, but even he knew you didn't get to break one of the biggest taboos in every world and come back scotch-free.

His crimson eyes scanned his little brother, who finally made it back to the clearing surrounding their makeshift hideout. Watching silently as he happily chatted with Tohru in the garden.

_'He doesn't look any different,'_ Kyo mused to himself.

Beyond thankful, he had enough sense not to trade places with him on the spot. But not knowing the price of saving his life was driving him crazy with worry. If there was one thing Kyo hated, it was needless self-sacrifice. Something his brother should fucking know by now.

The unwanted memory of his mother being brought home bloody and broken flashed to mind. Wincing with the painful thought. He let out a low growl, which did manage to chase the painful memory away for the moment.

"Fuck this," he whispered to himself. Taking this opportunity to flop back into a lying position. This time with his arms stretched out on either side of him.

He was exhausted. Ever since his accident, the shinobi had been plagued with nightmares of his mother being brought home bloody. Though now it was sometimes his little brother instead.

"How could you both do this?"

The nightmares also made him miss his mother, something awful. Having died on a mission when they were only five years old. Regarded as a hero for saving the person she had sworn to protect, though to do it, she hastily sacrificed herself in the process. The heroic act leaving behind her three sons in a world that would never truly accept them. Without so much as a goodbye or an explanation for the situation, she forced onto them.

Usually, when his heart ached for their mother, he would seek comfort from Tsubasa. But he couldn't bring himself to do that now. Not when his stupid cheerful face made his heart ache even more. His brother's selfishness rippedopen old wounds the copper-haired teen had been sure already healed. Kyo, of course, realized he was behaving selfishly and stubbornly as well. But his pride just couldn't bring himself to be consoled or to forgive Tsubasa for his actions at the moment. He would forgive him in time, but for now, he was content to pout.

Movement caught his eye. He peered down to see Tohru wave at him. Beckoning him to come join them in the garden. His crimson eyes immediately softened. If there was one drawback to this whole fight, it was that she was continuously caught in the middle of it. Having to relay messages from them both. However, he was a little irked she had been comforting Tsubasa more than himself.

He felt the heat in his cheeks and realized he had been blushing.

_I must be in the wrong, _Kyo thought angrily to himself.

He cursed under his breath before he slid off the roof to begrudgingly meet up with his teammates. It looked like they were finally prepared to leave this world behind.

"About fuckin' time," he grumbled.

Despite his impatience to be off this world, Kyo took his sweet fucking time walking over to his team. His pettiness outweighing his restlessness. Kyo didn't meet his brother's concerned gaze as he passed him to stand on the other side of his most treasured friend. She, in turn, smiled up at him, though it wasn't nearly as cheerful as it usually was. This fight between them affected her more than she let on. No doubt, Tohru would continue to feel this way until the two brothers made up. That alone was reason enough to hurry up and forgive him already. But first, Tsubasa needed to stew in the consequences of his actions for a little bit longer.

"Shall we?" he asked mostly to Tohru, though passively to his brother as well, who stood on the other side of her.

"If you would, please," Tsubasa answered a little hurt. The pain in his voice made Kyo's heartache despite himself. But he still didn't cave.

With a nod, Kyo closed his eyes. He brought a hand to his chest, his fingers extended inward as if he were going to pull at his shirt. Instead, his fingers began to glow. As soon as they made contact, the tips of his fingers started to disappear within himself for a moment before he began to slowly pull them back out. In their grip was the glowing handle of a weapon. He continued to slowly pull the glowing weapon from himself, the brilliance of the sparkling golden light forced Tsubasa and Tohru to avert their gaze. Once removed, the weapon was revealed to be a glowing kunai.

Tsubasa and Kyo were blessed with many powers from their mother. Her abilities had split evenly between both of them. Appropriate, considering they were twins. Fraternal, of course, considering they looked nothing alike. A fact which had always gotten on Kyo's nerves. People always joked that he must have been adopted. But their combined powers more than proved their relation to one another. They were always intended to use their astounding abilities together. Tsubasa would find those in need of their help through his foresight and dream walking abilities, and they would travel across dimensions and accomplish their missions through Kyo's versatile powers.

His world travel ability used the power of his soul in the form of a weapon to phase between worlds. The blade safely kept within himself through the use of magic was able to cut through time and space itself through the strength of his spirit alone. It, of course, was not an ability Kyo could be used lightly. His soul must recharge before he could even attempt to do it again, which usually was a month or two. If he knew the name a person and where they were, he could choose where he landed. Otherwise, it was completely random. However, his powers tended to gravitate to those who harbored memories of anyone from their family.

Kyo opened his eyes, twirling the magical kunai in his hands a few times before holding the weapon out in front of him. "Aizawa Shouta of Musutafu, Japan, here we come!" the shinobi shouted with a twinge of excitement. His eyes instantly glowing an intimidating crimson color.

The tip of the Kunai traced the air in front of him for a few seconds. The shinobi feeling for the slightest bit of resistance as his weapon located the right world to cut into. A few moments pass before he felt the familiar snag the weapon made when it discovered the correct dimension. He smiled the same chaotic smile he had in Tsubasa's dream.

"Found ya," he whispered to himself. He carefully puts pressure on the kunai's edge. It easily cut through the fabric of the universe. Through the first hole, he could see it was night time in this new world. Perfect for them to slip in unnoticed.

He gently made a tear large enough for everyone to make it through. With that, the three shinobi quickly file through one at a time, with Kyo bringing up the rear. Once on the other side, the tear in the universe immediately moved to fix itself. Healing the opening within a minute of Kyo passing through the rift. The copper-haired teen could feel the world's relief as it was whole once more.

Kyo returned the kunai into himself. Immediately, fatigue washed over him. He leaned his arm on the nearest person, who just happened to be Tsubasa. Though he was too tired to care.

"You're late," a voice called somewhere above them.

Three heads look up simultaneously to see a shaggy-haired man dressed in all black, except for the white scarf around his neck, crouched on a tree branch above them. A bored expression on his face.

"I'll let it slide this time, but do it again, and you'll be serving detention for a month."

**_Aizawa P.O.V_**

They were only a day late, but Aizawa detested tardiness for any reason. If you say you were going to be somewhere at a specific time, then you better damn be there at that time. Traveling across time and space didn't excuse tardiness. Even so, he supposed he could give them a pass this one time. It was like the orange brat had said once they arrived, quite loudly he might add.

"You try traveling across dimensions and see how you fuckin' feel!"

It was true. He had never transported himself to another world before, let alone bring others with him. Hell, he didn't really believe other worlds existed before last week. Aizawa could only imagine how difficult such a feat would be. How physically taxing it would be on your body, mind, and apparently your very_ soul_ as well. And that brat did it by himself?

When they hadn't shown up the day before, Aizawa decided to spend the next day at the designated spot, hoping they were only minorly delayed. The underground hero had passed the time by grading his student's homework. He was about two-thirds done when a flash of light caught his attention. Looking down from his comfortable perch, he saw some sort of glowing blade cut through the air itself. Mesmerized, Aizawa continued to watch as a rift in his world was cut before his fatigued eyes. Afterward, he saw three forms walking through it as if it was in any way normal. He recalled the surge of power he felt upon their arrival, which only dampened slightly when the blade returned to the copper-haired brat.

Aizawa stole a glance at the ill-tempered teen who leaned against the wall by his home desk. Stubbornly refusing to take a seat in the chair next to him. Instead, opting to pretend to be interested in the view outside the window. All the while, he casually allowed the wall to bear most of his weight. The teen hadn't spoken a word since his outburst outside. The only sign he had been listening to them recounting their shared dreams was the occasional nod. The underground hero suppressed the urge to sigh. He began to understand why this kid ended up befriending his own ill-tempered student. He hoped his class could survive another Bakugou.

While that kid, Kyo, he believed his name was, would most likely prove to be a challenge. The shaggy-haired teacher was thankful the other two proved to be model students. Tsubasa and Tohru sat attentively in the other two chairs in front of Aizawa's desk. Each looked through the materials he prepared for them. They consisted of the UA school handbook, hero policies, and regulations within this country, possible cover stories, potential threats, a summary of incidents that happened to his class so far, as well as photos and profiles of his students. These summarized their personalities, strengths, areas which need improvement, and, of course, their quirks.

It had been a couple of hours since they first arrived, and they had finally finished reviewing all the information and settled on which of their powers would serve as their own quirks while they posed as students in this world. After some debate, Aizawa and Tsubasa agreed it would be in everyone's best interest to keep the brunette's foresight abilities a secret from everyone. No point in revealing any vital information to possible villains that they had premonition powers on their side.

With that said, in addition to teaching his class how to fight without relying on their quirks. Aizawa had assigned them another mission. To do some spying of their own to catch the elusive Traitor at UA. The underground hero hoped fresh eyes could help detect what the UA staff hadn't been able to accomplish all year.

"Thank you for doing all this for us!~" Tohru thanked Aizawa happily. Her voice somewhere in between a quiet cheer and a soothing song. It surprised him that while she belonged to the same world as the other two, she did not have the same accent as them. Though after talking with her for a bit, he noticed she would sometimes slip into one for certain words. But for the most part spoke perfect Japanese, other than the sing-song way she spoke. "I hope we didn't cause you too much trouble~," she added bashfully.

In all honesty, being overly prepared had always helped calm Aizawa. Anything to make things go as smoothly as they possibly could gave him something to keep his mind busy with as he awaited their arrival.

"It wasn't too taxing," he responded truthfully, though his tone underplayed the fact that it was more for his peace of mind than theirs. His eyes glanced at the still untouched packet on Kyo's chair before bringing his attention back to the other two. "You'll be starting school tomorrow morning. I suggest you all get a good night's sleep."

"Aizawa-sensei?"

The underground hero looked up from where he was collecting his graded papers to see Kyo looking directly at him. He was no longer leaning against the wall but instead stood in a semi-crouched position.

"Is there anyone else that knows the truth about us and our purpose here?" asked in a nonchalant tone.

"Principle Nezu is aware I am bringing in outside help to train the class for a possible villain attack. Though he has not been made aware of your origins. Nor do I intend to if I can help it," the hero answered carefully. "Why do you ask?"

"Just making sure that I don't accidentally _stumble_ into a situation where my _cover is blown_ is all, " he stated a little bored. Though his intense crimson eyes slowly moved from Aizawa to the now cracked door behind him. A shuriken suddenly appeared in his hand. His teammates were also on edge, though they remained in their seats. Pretending to read over the information in front of them.

They were good. Their reflexes faster than his own in this situation. No doubt from years of experience in the field on countless worlds. A skill cultivated in an environment where one mistake could be your last.

"Understandable," Aizawa stated, copying the shinobi's lack of enthusiasm. Making a show of straightening the stack of papers in his hand against the desk in front of him. "That shouldn't be a problem, though. Nezu is pretty recognizable. He's one of the rare instances of an animal gaining a quirk, so he's only about _2 feet tall_. Shouldn't be too hard to _miss,_" he remarked. Hoping Kyo would pick out the true meaning behind his words.

Without hesitation, Kyo threw his shuriken through the crack of the door.

Immediately a startled yelp could be heard, followed by the thump of the shuriken embedded itself in the wall. As well as the sound of frantic struggling. Faster than the eye could track, Kyo had crossed the distance of the room. Instantly throwing open the door to reveal a familiar head of spiky purple hair and matching tired eyes.

"Oh, hey, Aizawa-sensei. Fancy seeing you here?" the insomniac stated sheepishly. The sleeve of his jacket pinned to the wall by Kyo's shuriken. Effectively, trapping him in place. His face paled even more than usual when he took in Aizawa's angry expression, complete with glowing red eyes and standing dark hair. Shinsou could practically feel the extra homework he was about to be slapped with, and the terrifying hero wasn't even his teacher.

"You have five seconds to explain yourself before I erase your entire existence," the pro hero threatened.

**_Bakugou P. O. V._**

**_Snap... Snap... Snap... SNAP!_**

The simple sound echoed through the darkness repeatedly. The resonance steadily instilled more fear into him. With each snap, Bakugou was plunged from where he was tightly fastened down in that damn chair Shigaraki forced him into, to a new type of hell.

This hell was utterly silent, except for the adrenaline pumping through his veins, which made his ears ring painfully. He was unable to move or see anything besides the blinding blue around him. The weird turquoise mass which surrounded him compressed painfully against his body, threatening to crush him into nothing. The sensation both unbearably cold and overwhelmingly hot at the same time as if he was surrounded by icy fire. Even worse was the fact that he couldn't breathe.

Another **_snap_**, and he was back in that fucking bar he had been taken to after his kidnapping.

The villain hideout reeked of cheap beer, whiskey, and enough second-hand smoke he probably had cancer now. Despite this, Bakugou immediately breathed in the foul air. Forcing his body to take in as many large gulps as he could before he was inevitably transported back to that airless nightmare. The whole ordeal felt as if he were being waterboarded.

As Bakugou struggled to regain his breath, he glared daggers at the masked villain sitting in a chair directly in front of him. The villain making a show out of snapping his fingers in his face, while subtly tapping Bakugou's foot with his, each and every time he used his quirk. Giving the illusion that the snapping was all that was needed to bring him back inside that accursed sphere. The blonde knew it was nothing more than a ruse, but he found himself flinching every single time he heard the sound. His once healthy mind crumbling under the weight of the psychological torture.

Immediately after getting captured, the villains had drawn slots to see who would be in charge of watching him until it was time to go over their plan with the boss villain. Unfortunately for Bakugou, this compress guy drew the short stick first. The Hothead didn't think much of the guy but thought this was probably his best scenario considering the other weirdos in their embarrassing little crew.

He couldn't have been any more wrong.

After getting fed up with Bakugou's foul mouth in the teen's attempt to extract information, the villain had given him a good smack to shut him up. This, of course, had the knee-jerk response from Bakugou to deliver his own blow. Bakugou didn't actually think his strike would connect, considering he was chained to a fucking chair with a heavy metal restraint strapped to his hands-considerably slowing his movements-but the metal cuffs connected nonetheless. Knocking the villains mask off to reveal a genuinely grotesque sight and effectively pissing him off.

**_Snap! _**

Mid-breath Bakugou's forced back with enough force, his head hit the back of the wooden chair _hard._ Ignoring the splitting headache, he immediately bit his tongue in his rush to close his mouth. The taste of blood awkwardly held in his mouth, unable to drip down due to the frozen in time nature of the sphere.

Bakugou fought back the growing sense of nausea as well as the agony of holding his breath. With each snap of that damn Compress's quirk, he let Bakugou wait a little longer in that fucking place, but even so, he should have been zapped back by now. Bakugou desperately ground his teeth together in a vain effort to keep from breathing in.

When Bakugou first got nabbed at the training camp, he had made the mistake of breathing in immediately and instantly regretted it. An intense pain flared through him as what felt like liquid fire forced its way down his throat. The sensation was worse than when he was being suffocated by the sludge villain a year before. He vaguely wondered if that was what drowning felt like.

In the haziness of his oxygen-deprived mind, a memory resurfaced. It was back before his quirk manifested, and his mother had taken him and Deku to their first swimming lesson. The nerd was scared of the water and clung to his mother's leg like the baby he was. Scared to death, he wouldn't be able to hold his breath and was going to drown before he got the chance to be a hero.

Bakugou, of course, had laughed at Deku's fears. He wasn't scared in the least. He was excited to learn how to swim. Eager to be the first to learn in his friend group, and was obviously going to be the best at it as well. That, of course, earned him a disciplinary flick to the forehead. Contrary to what most people thought, his mother did not hit him as a child.

As they waited for their swim instructor to meet them, Bakugou recalled his mother comforting the sniffling toddler on her lap. She had told him humans had evolved to the point that their instinct to hold their breath underwater was so strong that babies did it naturally without being taught. If they could manage such a feat, then two strong boys could accomplish it even better. Those words seemed to give Deku the confidence needed to continue with the lesson. But for Bakugou, those words stuck with him.

As Bakugou uselessly struggled against the restraints on his arms and legs, he knew his mother had severely underplayed the reality of drowning. It wasn't that humans evolved enough to possess strong instincts to prevent drowning. It was that a person's fear of dying overcame the absolute agony of running out of air. No matter how desperate the drowning person was, they refused to inhale until they were on the verge of losing consciousness. It was only at that point when there was so much carbon dioxide in the blood, and so little oxygen that the chemical sensors in the brain triggered an involuntary breath. Sort of a neurological optimism, as if the body were saying, _"Holding our breath is killing us, and breathing in might not kill us, so we might as well breath in."_

The explosive teen was reaching his own breaking point. Though he still clung to the hope that Compress was going to snap him back any second now or better yet, that one of the other villains would walk in and see what their colleague was doing. There was just no way they would go to all this trouble to capture him, only to torture him to death right away.

_Is he just going to leave me like this?_ Bakugou thought desperately.

Is he seriously going to leave me here to die?

And then his body finally gave out on him.

Bakugou involuntarily took a deep breath, and a new pain erupted through his body. Barraged with the painful sensation of burning lava being poured into his mouth and windpipe. Flooding his lungs, with each shuddering breath. Half conscious and his mind muddled by oxygen depletion, whatever fight he still had was instantly forgotten.

I'm going to die, he thought absently to himself as his vision began to blur and darken at the edges.

His ears desperately straining to hear for a snap that would save him from this place. Bakugou considered using his quirk; blowing himself up had to be better than getting killed by a villain in this fucking nightmare. His lungs burned, and his eyes watered in frustration.

Fuck, I'm actually going to die here.

...

I don't want to die!

...

**_SNAP!_**

Bakugou sprung awake with a start. Immediately sitting up in his bed, his hands uselessly shot to his throat as he continued to have trouble breathing upon waking. His body betraying him by forcibly seizing up his throat to prevent the nonexistent threat from suffocating him. Ironically blocking the flow of air to his desperate lungs.

"Bakugou!" A panicked voice exclaimed as another body shot up beside him.

Realizing they were panicking themselves, the person took a deep breath to compose themself. "Hold your breath for a few seconds and then try to exhale slowly," the voice suggested in a soothing tone. Cutting through Bakugou's frantic mind. The equally comforting sensation of a steady hand rubbing his back accompanying the instructions.

Even in his crazed state, Bakugou focused on the familiar words, obeying them willingly. This, unfortunately, wasn't the first time he needed to be guided through this ordeal. After exhaling, he found his body had loosened up enough for him to begin inhaling slowly.

"That's it. In two, out four okay?" the voice encouraged, pulling Bakugou a little closer. The breathless teen could only offer the kind voice a weak nod. The death grip Bakugou had on the front of his black tank top, loosening slightly with each breath.

He cracked one of his crimson eyes open-eyes he hadn't realized were still closed. Slowly blinking through the resulting tears, while his eyes adjusted to the first rays of morning light, which basked his room in a bluish tint. To his left sat his best friend in the whole fucking world, Kirishima Eijiro. Though, considering their current position, that was probably an understatement.

It took another ten minutes of labored breathing before Bakugou's breath was back to normal. Exhausted, he immediately collapsed onto the bed. An arm sprawled over his red face, hiding his eyes from view. Frustrated by this whole ordeal.

"You wanna talk about it?" the redhead asked awkwardly.

"No," was the immediate response.

An awkward silence filled the room for a moment before he lifted his arm enough to peak at the other boy on the bed. Kirishima look conflicted, but he held his tongue. Honoring Bakugou's wishes. The ash-blonde rolled his eyes. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

The other boy nodded. Deciding to drop the subject for now. "Well, I'm glad I was here to help you out, Bakugou," Kirishima said with a sleepy smile.

The ash-blonde grunted his thanks. About to push the memory of the incident to the back of his mind when he realized something. "You sure responded fast," Bakugou pointed out skeptically. Forcing his tired body back into a sitting position to study his friend. "Normally, it takes a lot more to wake you up on a Monday morning. What gives?"

"Oh yeah, about that..." the redhead began, averting his gaze from the explosive teen. "I was kinda already up. I, uh... well, I ...uh.."

"Spit it out, Shitty-Hair," Bakugou ordered through clenched teeth. Careful to keep the usual venom out of his voice.

Kirishima's eyes darted around the room. Looking for something to distract the other teen with, but eventually bowed his head in defeat. "I couldn't sleep. I had a nightmare as well."

Bakugou let out a frustrated hiss.

"Another one?" he asked in annoyed disbelief. It was bad enough he was experiencing these near-nightly nuisances, but now Kirishima as well. This was starting to get out of hand.

It had been months since the kidnapping, but Bakugou's nightmares had only gotten worse and were becoming more frequent. He supposed he probably should have gone to see someone after the incident, to help work through these complicated feelings he'd been experiencing. But his stubbornness and pride wouldn't let him.

It would have been a completely different story had his parents, pro-heroes, and teachers knew what truly happened when he was captured. Had they known he had been tortured, they would no doubt have forced him to get help. But they gave up on the idea to send him to a counselor with minimal persuading on Bakugou's part. He remembered feeling a little disappointed at how easily they gave up on him.

_Well, who fucking needed their help anyway?!_

"It's not so bad. I see Midnight-sensei every week about it, so I'll be better in no time!" the Ball-of-Sunshine promised with a toothy smile. Kirishima gently took Bakugou's hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "You know, you could come for a session too. It might feel good to get some of this stuff off your chest?" Kirishima prompted gently, giving Bakugou's hand another squeeze.

The explosive teen didn't make a move to take his hand back from him. He was to busy staring absentmindedly at the vintage All Might poster on his wall. Taking comfort from the warmth from Kirishima's hand, on his own.

After his second fight with Deku and learning about how he inherited All Might's quirk, One For All, Bakugou was understandably upset. Disappointed that his favorite hero chose someone else to inherit his power and helped set the path for Deku to become his successor as the next Number One Hero. While Bakugou basically put All Might on the fast track to his retirement because he was careless enough to get captured by an incompetent group of villains. Even though his teacher promised that his retirement was inevitable. That it would have happened anyway. Bakugou still couldn't help but feel like complete and utterly like crap.

Feeling vulnerable, he wanted to tell All Might about the events that happened when he was captured. Not caring if that damn nerd overheard. Though when he looked into his favorite hero's sad eyes and small, fragile form, he hesitated. Bakugou felt like that the disturbing knowledge would send him over the edge. That it would break whatever fighting spirit, the retired hero had left. All Might had already told him that he felt personally responsible for Bakugou being taken in the first place. That his only solace was that he was retrieved unharmed. How would All Might react when he found out that wasn't the case? That he actually been tortured?So to protect his childhood hero, Bakugou held his tongue.

After Aizawa lectured them that night, Bakugou stumbled blindly to his room. Hot, frustrated tears blurring his vision. He wanted to scream about the helplessness he felt. The unfairness of it all. All these secrets eating him up alive. He had already confided that Deku's secret all these months were an absolute hell only to be saddled with even more of them. It was becoming too much. If he didn't relieve some of the built-up stress, he was bound to lose his mind.

The thought caused Bakugou to hesitate outside his bedroom door. After some deliberation, he made the bold decision to walk over to the door next to his. Knocking lightly before he had the chance to chicken out.

The explosive teen didn't bother to wipe the tears from his face. He knew Kirishima well enough to know he wouldn't judge him for his vulnerable state or gossip about it with anyone afterward. That would be _unmanly _after all. Bakugou just needed to be comforted and share a few painful memories with someone he could trust. Someone strong enough to help him carry it. Thus began the near-nightly tradition of sleeping in the same room to ward off the onslaught of nightmares the explosive teen experienced.

Bakugou's eyes moved from the poster to the hand held in his. To this day, the redhead was the only one he had ever told about his kidnapping. True to his word, Kirishima never breathed a word to anyone else, though he would occasionally encourage him to speak with someone else about it. Over time, their platonic sleepovers turned into something they were still trying to figure out. This new relationship seemed to keep the terrible memories at bay for a while. One of the only good things to come out of this whole situation.

But of course, it wasn't long before the other shoe dropped.

Kirishima's near-death experience with Kendo Rappa prompted his own series of nightmares, which of course, brought back Bakugou's as well. To the point, if either one had a bad dream one night, then the other would have one the next night. Until eventually, if either of them felt the other one experiencing a horrible nightmare in their sleep, it would instantly stimulate their own. Desperate, they had attempted to sleep apart one night, and Kirishima had woken up screaming violently. He had lost control of his quirk-completely destroying his bed. This, in turn, caused a mass panic throughout the dorms, which was what landed him in weekly counselor sessions with Midnight-sensei.

The ash-blonde stood to his feet. His hand slipping out of Kirishima's hold. "I think it's too late for that now," the blonde responded coolly. His expression was difficult to read.

Bakugou quickly walked over to his closet to gather his clothes for a morning run. Eager to work off some of his nerves. He glanced over at the redhead, who still made no move to get off the bed. The look on his face troubled as he ran a hand through his scarlet locks. Those sad puppy-dog eyes looking defeatedly at the floor, made Bakugou feel a pang of guilt.

"But I'll think about it, alright?" he quickly added, pulling a fresh shirt over his head.

That did the trick.

Kirishima's face immediately brightened up. "That's great, man! You won't regret it!" Kirishima cheered excitedly, springing to his feet. Quickly making his way to the door before the ash-blonde could change his mind.

"Oi! I didn't agree to it yet. I said I'd think about it," the blonde reminded irritably, trying to grab Kirishima's arm before he made his way out the door. But the redhead dodged his attempt to stop him by throwing a pillow at his face. The poor pillow was immediately blown to hell, leaving Bakugou standing stunned in the charred feathery aftermath. His expression quickly morphing into one of murderous intent.

"I'll clean that up later!" Kirishima yelped, quickly vanishing through the door before he could be blown up as well.

An enormous explosion shook the room as a result. "THE HELL YOU WILL!" Bakugou boomed, no doubt, waking the entire building with the ferocity of both his explosion and his threat. He felt like he was going to chip a tooth with how hard he was gritting his teeth to keep from blowing everything in sight. This was already proving to be an irritating day.

_Fuck! _Bakugou cursed to himself angrily. Deciding the best thing to do would be to run some of these frustrations away. So he quickly finished getting ready and stomped out of the building. Glaring and flipping off the few curious heads that poked out of their rooms as he passed.

The common room was starting to fill up by the time he made it back from his run. Feeling a little better after burning off his excess energy. He was still pissed at Kirishima for pulling that stunt, and he was definitely going to force Shitty-Hair to clean up every last feather from his room. No matter how long it took him to do it.

Bakugou ignored everyone as he made his way to the locker rooms for a quick shower. During his run, Aizawa-sensei had sent out a text message through their class group chat, instructing them to be dressed in their P.E. clothes and to meet him on the training ground next to the dorms instead of the classroom. Most of his classmates spoke excitedly with each other, wondering what the reason behind the last-minute change could be. However, he could also feel a few glances thrown in his direction. Probably due to his explosive outburst that morning. Though he was too tired to give a fuck.

Bakugou would never admit it aloud, but he really needed to get his shit together. This lack of sleep situation he found himself in was starting to have negative effects on his life. His performance in the hero exercises was beginning to get downright sloppy. Worse was that others were starting to take notice as well.

The first was Deku. Not all that surprising considering his near stalkerish obsession with him. But a few glares sent his direction was enough to keep him from saying anything about. Next was the other members of his squad. Mostly, needless teasing from DunceFace and SoySauce, though a few colorful threats aimed at them, silenced them up pretty fast. No, the worst offenders were that damn IcyHot and that annoying frog. They just said whatever came to mind, without any regard to who was listening. And before you know it, the whole class was looking at him like he wasn't the best person here anymore.

_Damn extras._

All the sideways glances and whispering about him was getting on his nerves. Coupled that with his sleep-deprived mind was a recipe for disaster. It didn't take much to set the ash-blonde off these days. He'd nearly killed that sparkling nitwit when he had the gall to insult his cooking last week. Claiming it wasn't _"Up to par"_ with his french ass standards or some shit. What the fuck did he know? Bakugou had caught the freak eating plain mayonnaise sandwiches once. Talk about disgusting. It took his whole gang plus Uraraka to keep him from murdering that sparkling asshole. Since then, most of the class stayed clear of him. A shame since he was starting to make progress acting civilly with his classmates.

The common room was alive with lots of yelling and stern hand gestures when Bakugou reentered the room. "What the hell is going on?" he asked in a bored tone. Coming to stand beside Jirou on the outskirts of the chaos. Other students also gathering around to see what the racket was about.

She lets out a snicker. "Someone spiked Iida's shampoo with Kirishima's hair dye."

Sure enough, in the middle of the group was a furious Iida. His usual navy blue locks, now a bright purple. Currently trying to calm him down was Ponytail, Icyhot, and Round Face, though the latter was also trying to stop herself from laughing at his absurd new appearance.

Jirou snapped a couple of photos before continuing. "Must have happened sometime last night and money's on your squad being responsible," she finished with a grin.

Her words made it apparent that there was a running bet on this, and she was prying for insider knowledge. He did not doubt that his idiot friends were to blame for this disaster. He overheard Horns saying that they were going to play truth or dare after their movie night in her room. But as for who specifically was responsible, he had no fucking idea. His crimson eyes scanned the crowd and noticed that Birdbrain, Octopus, and the Purple Pest not so casually eavesdropping on their conversation.

"How big is the pot?" he asked curiously.

"$530 so far. Though a few are still deciding on who to bet on," Jirou replied with a grin. Taking it as a good sign that Bakugou appeared to be interested. "Everyone betting believes that your squad is involved. Mostly they're betting to see how quickly Aizawa-sensei gives them detention for it."

"The runt says that Kaminari will spin some tale claiming his innocence for at least 10 minutes before Aizawa sensei threatens expulsion."

"Hah, not likely. No way he waits that long."

The Bass Bitch nods her head in agreement. "Tokoyami says all five of you will get detention in the first 3 minutes of class, and he won't hear any excuses about it."

"The Fuck!" Bakugou yelled, whirling his head around to glare at his bird faced classmate. Effectively scaring DarkShadow back inside his host. That feat bringing Bakugou some satisfaction, but the scowl persisted on his face.

"Calm down before you blow a gasket."

"I am fucking calm," he growled. His hands sparkling dangerously. Not sure if he was more annoyed with being told to calm down or the sass he was getting served with.

"Whatever you say, Hotshot," she teased, twirling one of her earphone jacks. Jirou was currently on pretty good terms with the class hothead, but that didn't mean she wasn't immune to his wrath if she riled him up too much. She ultimately decided it was in her best interest to let up for now. Better to be safe than sorry. "Meanwhile, Shoji thinks that just the idiot four will get detention within the first 5 minutes of class, but that Kirishima was going to get in the most trouble since it was his hair dye."

Bakugou scowled at that. He knew for a fact that Shitty-Hair didn't do it. But he had to admit that the octopus had a point. Punishing all responsible was definitely within the realm of possibilities as far as Aizawa was concerned. Even if that meant punishing someone who didn't play an active role in the prank. If you thought about it like that, then Aizawa would be justified in holding someone responsible if they were unfortunate enough to not keep track of their belongings. Especially when acquainted with such a mischievous group of friends. So far, that was the bet to beat.

"What are you betting on?"

"I like to do some research before I place a bet," Jirou answered with a sly grin. Rocking onto her toes to shoot a smug look at the eavesdropping boys over Bakugou's shoulder. "And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping to pick your brain before placing one. You did help me win me a bunch of money last time."

Bakugou smirked at the memory. He had persuaded her to bet against her best friend in the class's _"Late Night Sweets Eating Contest."_ Everyone was betting on either Big Lips or Ponytail, which would generally be a no brainer, except everyone overlooked one thing. Mina Ashido was a closet sugar-fiend. It was a well-known fact in the Bakusquad that Mina's room was always stocked full of all sorts of sweets. Everything from pop tarts to complete packages of cupcakes. An ungodly stash that she had to replace almost daily. People always wondered why she was always so energetic? It might have something to do with the 20 pixie sticks she downed for breakfast every day. Luckily, she worked that sugar out of her system; otherwise, there would be no way she would be fit enough to be a hero. He recalled telling Horns to lay off the sweets and eat a salad for once in her damn life. She just giggled, "But that's what makes me so sweet~" Needless to say, Jirou made a killing during that bet. And Bakugou was paid handsomely in return.

"I want my usual cut," the ash-blonde whispered so only she could hear. Bakugou's right hand sparking up a little, just in case Shoji was listening in on their conversation.

Jirou rolled her eyes but nodded anyway.

"You'll win big if you place your money on just the moron Musketeers getting detention. It's only going to take him 10 seconds to pass judgment once Aizawa spots Four-Eye's purple hair. He's gotta know by now that I wouldn't go along with something stupid enough to get me detention and that Shitty-Hair would've confessed if he had."

"You really think you two are getting off scot-free?"

"We better. If not, the class is going to be short 3 people. I'll make sure of that." He made a stronger blast to emphasize his threat, but both of them knew that there was no way he could kill them or anyone in their class.

"You better be right about this," she replied with a shrug. Jirou started to make her way over to place her bet with Tail, who had been declared the official bet keeper. But she stopped after a few steps, looking back at him over her shoulder. "I assume our usual terms still stand if you're wrong?"

A low growl sounded in the back of Bakugou's throat. "I'm not gonna be wrong. But yeah, I'll make your dinners for a month."

"Just checking," Jirou grinned before disappearing into the crowd surrounding Tail. Looked like BellyButton, RoundFace, and even Icyhot were getting in on the action as well. Opting to abandon the class president, who had succumbed to full lecture mode.

With the opportunity of a couple hundred bucks coming his way, the explosive teen headed to the kitchen to find something to eat with a smug look on his face. There was no time to eat a real meal, so he grabbed an apple off the counter. Washing it off quickly before heading out the front doors where a sheepish Kirishima was waiting for him.

"Hey, Bakugou," the redhead greeted nervously in an attempt to gauge his friend's mood. "Want to walk together?"

The hothead crunched on his apple loudly. Grunting a gruff, "Whatever," in-between bites. Not bothering to stop, but slowed his pace for the redhead to catch up with him as they made their way to class.

"What do you think we're gonna be doing in class today?" Kirishima asked excitedly. Falling into step with his best friend.

"Something annoying probably," Bakugou grumbled irritably. Realizing how sharp his words were, he made a conscious effort to reign that grouchiness in. In a friendlier tone, he added, "It's almost winter, so were most likely getting introduced on the next main subject of the semester. Those usually involve a big outside lesson."

Kirishima nodded in agreement. Seemingly unphased by the ash-blonde's grouchy mood. "I hope we get to do some sparring. I would love to brawl with someone!" he slammed his hardened fists together for emphasis.

Bakugou hummed his agreement over another bite of his breakfast. Thankful that the Ball-of-Sunshine didn't need him to play an active role during their conversations.

"I'd also like a chance to improve my Unbreakable form as well. I'm still having trouble moving while in it," Kirishima chuckled. His tone was cheerful, but it hitched ever so slightly. Betraying his anxiousness to become stronger as fast as possible. It was so subtle that Bakugou doubted that Kirishima noticed it himself.

"You could try dodging my Auto-Cannon," Bakugou half-joked in an attempt to lighten the mood. The tips of his lip perking up into a devious smirk.

Completely oblivious, the Ball-of-Sunshine took it as a legitimate offer from a fellow bro. "Thanks, Bakugou!"

"Kirishima, no," Sero piped in out of nowhere, falling into step with his trusting friend. A bulky arm wrapped around the redhead's shoulders protectively. Shaking his head in exasperation at his friend's too sweet for his own good nature. "It's like you want Bakugou to kill you. Honestly, I have no idea how you're still alive."

"No one fucking asked you, TapeArms," Bakugou yelled, throwing the apple core at his nosy friend. Sero easily dodges. His onyx eyes trailing the apple as it passes his face to see it land beautifully in the bright yellow compost bin they had passed.

A chorus of booming laughter erupted from the idiotic duo then.

"I don't understand how you do everything perfectly. I can't even tease you about littering," Sero wheezed through his laughing fit. Bakugou flipped him off in response, not bothering to wait for either of them as they struggle to compose themselves to no avail. The whole while, contemplating how he got stuck with these sorry excuses for friends.

A majority of their class was already gathered when they arrive at the designated spot. They immediately spot Kaminari and Mina getting lectured by Aizawa-sensei. While Sero tried to hide in the crowd, Sensei's capture weapon instantly grabbed him by the ankles and dragged him front and center like a scene from a horror movie. Meanwhile, their teacher didn't give Bakugou or Kirishima so much a second glance.

A smug look crossed the blonde's features as a wad of cash was immediately waved in front of his face by Jirou's earphone jacks. "Thanks for the help," she thanked beside them.

"Um, what's going on?" Kirishima asked, confused. His face looking from Bakugou to Jirou, both of which were currently busy counting their winnings.

"Just profiting from our dumb friends," Bakugou replied, smugly. However, as he counted his crimson eyes slowly narrowed in confusion. He looked back at the stack in Jirou's hands. "You sure you counted this, right? This is over $600." Bakugou asked, quickly recounting his pile of cash.

Jirou looked absolutely offended. "Hey, I know I have some trouble with math, but I don't completely suck at it either," she hissed. Any other person and she would have used her EarJack attack, but the hearing hero wanted to live, so she didn't. Regaining some composure, she explained, "Todoroki made a large bet that you would end up getting detention too somehow."

"Damn IcyHot," Bakugou muttered. He had half a mind to give him a blast to the face for good measure, but the steady hardened hand on his shoulder kept him firmly rooted in place. So he instead stewed in his irritation silently. Hoping beyond hope that they were about to do some sparring so he could beat some extras into the ground.

"You should be happy that his betting instincts are crap. He's rich, so he can afford to make them, which is better for us," Jirou assured, trying to diffuse her new friend.

"Yeah yeah," was the gruff response she received for her trouble. Bakugou obviously still fuming about the injustice.

The punk rocker rolled her eyes at his needless temper. Realizing she wasn't well equipped to disarm the walking bomb that was Bakugou Katsuki, Jirou decided to leave it to an expert. She waved goodbye to Kirishima, then made her way over to Momo, who gently scolded her for betting on their classmates' misfortune. Though as Jirou fanned herself with her winnings, while whispering something they couldn't hear, she quickly had the rich girl bouncing on her heels in excitement. Bakugou still couldn't figure out what the hell their relationship was. His crimson eyes glanced at Kirishima in time to see the redhead's smile dim ever so slightly at the open display of affection.

Crap. I better focus on figuring out what our relationship was instead of wondering about these extras, Bakugou thought a little guiltily.

"Attention class!" the underground hero began, his voice breaking through the surrounding student's mindless chatter. Done lecturing the idiot brigade over their childish prank. Iida looking a little dejected as well. No doubt, having received his own lecture for interrupting a teacher again.

It was at this time that Bakugou realized four other students were standing patiently on the other side of their teacher. Going off of the murmuring that was spreading across his classmates, he wasn't the only one to finally notice their presence.

The pro hero loudly hushed them all again before continuing. "You're probably wondering why I called you out here today. Up until now, we've concentrated on learning the basic techniques needed to be a hero; by strengthening your quirks and gaining your Provincial Licenses. Now we're going to start the next phase: Adaptability." This revelation earned him a few confused looks as well as some nervous murmuring, but their teacher ignored it. Continuing without missing a beat. "This is one of the most important qualities a hero can possess. In this ever-changing profession and the infinite amount of unique quirks in the world. You have to be prepared for anything at a moment's notice."

"Like expect the unexpected?" Hagakure offered.

Aizawa nodded. "I'm sure you all can imagine a situation where you weren't able to use your quirk the way you normally would. Whether that was from an opponent's quirk advantage over you, a harmful environment, being physically restrained, or something blocking your quirk entirely," Aizawa stated, his eyes flashing to life. Effectively scaring half of his students. The effects of his cancelation quirk still having a noticeable effect over Bakugou, despite him not producing any explosions at the moment. Feeling more like some sort of static disconnect, blocking him from a treasured part of himself. The hero let them stew in his overwhelming gaze for a few seconds longer than necessary before slowly blinking his eyes back to normal.

The whole class sighed in relief.

"But this is no excuse for you to give up. A hero should always be able to break out of a tough spot. In this line of work, you either _adapt_ or you _die._"

Usually, Aizawa would have said that statement with a sadistic grin on his face, though this time, his expression remained dark and unreadable. Sero and Kaminari let out awkward chuckles, while others in the class shared anxious looks with one another. Wondering if this was yet another playful ruse or if they were actually in danger of dying.

Crimson eyes narrowed as they studied their teacher. Trying to figure out what sort of hell they were about to be thrown into. His hands burning at the memory of plunging them into boiling water for days straight at the summer training camp.

I can handle anything he throws at me. Bring it on!

"What sort of training will we be doing?" RoundFace graciously asked for the class.

"Are we really going to die?" Kaminari blurted out. Fear clearly reflecting in his golden eyes. His matching hair standing up a little from the accidental activation of his quirk.

Aizawa, of course, ignored his question.

"I will be creating various scenarios for you. These will represent unfavorable conditions that you could one day find yourselves in. During this next phase, you will be trained to quickly assess the worst-case scenario and find a way out of it," He paused for a moment, before continuing, "Unlike previous years, we're going to do something a little different. We're going to continue establishing the techniques needed to use your quirks effectively, but also techniques useful in situations where it could be dangerous to use your quirk."

This earned a few gasps from the class. They have never been told not to use their beloved quirks before. Some students looked around uneasily, a few of note included Tokoyami and Todoroki.

"We're not going to be using our quirks?" Mina gasped loudly. Her arms wrapped around herself protectively as if Aizawa had a way to strip her of her quirk completely. "Like at all?"

Bakugou felt as though someone had dumped ice in his veins. Adrenaline caused his hands to sweat more than usual. It was as if his explosion quirk refused to be forced onto the sidelines ever again. It took all of his willpower not to spark his quirk to life. He didn't need these damn extras to know how terrified he was to not be able to use his quirk. Memories of his capture threatened to overtake him, but the faint touch of Kirishima's hand brushing up against his helped him stay grounded to reality. He forced himself to take deep inconspicuous breaths before a panic attack could be triggered.

_Like hell, I'm going to do that._

"I believe I've already explained that we will be training for worst-case scenarios?" Aizawa yawned, acting like he was discussing weather patterns instead of the terrifying thought of fighting without a quirk.

His dark eyes suddenly hardened and became serious as he looked over his students. "To a Hero, not having their quirk-or more likely- not being able to use their quirk in the field is a detrimental blow. I should know." Fortunately, he just pointed to his eyes this time instead of scaring them with his quirk. This was most likely to avoid drying out his eyes rather than worrying about their well being. "Most of my victories are decided early on in a match, not because I erased an opponent's quirk, but because they didn't have the foresight to plan for the possibility of their quirk becoming obsolete. More often than not, my opponents panic or give up entirely. Securing my victory."

His right hand comes up to take hold of his capture weapon. Fingers lacing through multiple layers of the ingenious weapon he had created when he was their age. "I, on the other hand, have trained extensively to be able to fight in circumstances where my quirk is rendered useless. I understand my shortcomings and have moved beyond them. It's time for you all to do the same."

Anxiousness made room for a determination as the class was inspired by their homeroom teacher's words. Choosing to abandon their fears by accepting his challenge to grow and move forward. Even Bakugou felt something stir within him. Feeling a twinge of excitement at the prospect of crushing whatever weaknesses he might have. Kirishima, mirroring his feelings, by slamming his fists together beside him. Somewhere behind him, he could hear Urakara do her best Gunhead impression and to his left see's a floating girl's uniform jumping up and down with renewed vigor.

Maybe this won't be so bad.

Aizawa himself seemed pleased by their reactions, for he let a smile spread across his face. Allowing his students to calm down on their own before continuing. "To help me do that, these four will be joining our class for the remainder of the semester," Aizawa announced, motioning to the students beside him.

There was complete silence for a few seconds before the class erupted into surprised shrieks at this new revelation. Students yelling over each other with countless questions that even Aizawa's terrifying expression had difficulty quelling.

"What did he say?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Are some of us being transferred out?!"

"This has to be a trick, right?"

Bakugou's eyes zeroed in on his_ supposed_ new classmates. Giving them each a good look for the first time since he noticed them at the beginning of class. All four of them were dressed in the same athletic clothes, though only one face was familiar. The always tired looking former general studies student Hitoshi Shinsou stood awkwardly to Aizawa's immediate right. Beside him stood a girl with friendly sapphire eyes and long brown hair. She wore long dangly light blue ribbons on either side of her head. At first glance, she didn't look like much. Ditzy even, since she seemed to be humming a song to herself.

Next, was a teen with light brown hair and amber eyes. He waited patiently for the class to compose themselves, but the calmness around him was unnerving in this chaotic environment. His face was friendly enough, smiling at those who made eye contact with, but it was clear to Bakugou that he was consciously keeping his distance.

Lastly, there was a teen with bright orange hair and calculating crimson eyes, which scanned each classmate in turn as if measuring each one up. A mischievous smirk on his face. Bakugou narrowed his own crimson eyes. There was a weird energy that seemed to roll off of the trio. Glancing around at his class, a few others noticed it as well. Deku, Todoroki, Tokoyami, and strangely enough Kaminari as well.

Ignoring the outbursts of his class, Aizawa continued, "Shinsou was already in the process of transferring to the class after his impressive performance at the Sports Festival. The other three are visitors to our school. Specializing in hand to hand combat, escape tactics and an assortment of weaponry skills. They have offered to teach you these skills to strengthen relations between our school and theirs."

"Sensei!" a hand urgently shot in the air. No one had to look to know it was their kiss-ass of a class president. "What school do they come from?"

"Didn't I just lecture you for interrupting?" The exhausted teacher sighed. It was apparent that he beginning to lose patience on all the outbursts so early in the morning. The sharp reminder made the hand falter until it rested back at his side. The ash-blonde couldn't help but let out a condescending snicker at his expense.

"These students are from Binoshi. A small private school over on the west side of Japan. Unlike our school, where we train students to become Heroes. They are trained to become Shinobi. Upon graduation, they use the skills they acquired to serve the country in its international affairs."

"Wow! I had no idea Shinobi still existed. That's so manly!" Kirishima exclaimed happily beside him. "Did you?" he casually asked his friend, draping a friendly arm over his shoulders.

"Yeah...shortly after Heroes became a legal profession. Laws were quickly written forbidding people and heroes alike from harming others with their quirks unless absolutely necessary. Still needing a way to defend the country from the rest of the world, the Shinobi were entrusted to protect Japan to keep heroes reputations as a symbol of peace intact," Bakugou answered in explicit detail with a neutral tone. A trick he learned to divide his attention at school when his mind was occupied with better things. Something Deku annoyingly referred to as,_ "Bakugou in neutral." _While Deku often berated everyone's ears with unprompted incoherent muttering of his innermost thoughts, Bakugou, in contrast, would provide detailed information in an uncharacteristically calm icy voice. The majority of his attention busy trying to piece all these new pieces of information together. There was definitely a bigger picture here, a motive for everything Aizawa was doing, but he wasn't able to make sense of all these new developments.

Bakugou was well aware that the rest of the class was listening to his explanation with various levels of fascination. Understandable, since they hadn't covered this topic yet in their International Hero Politics class. "Even though their main objective is to deal with other countries and terrorists, they are sometimes called to aid heroes on dangerous missions because they are allowed to kill their targets. They're used as human weapons," he finished darkly. His stomach twisting as he was reminded of Shigaraki's horde of mindless Nomu.

An ominous hush fell over the would-be heroes. Even the four students standing before them squirmed a bit at his words. Aizawa's scarf conveniently hid the bottom half of his face from view, though it was evident that he was frowning. Their homeroom teacher likely had a kinder way of explaining the Shinobi's role in society, but that would be some flowery fabrication.

Bakugou didn't care. His classmates would have found out about it easily through a quick online search or in their class later on. Shinobi weren't Villains, but they weren't Heroes either. They were some sort of a grey area in society.

A necessary evil.

Bakugou scowled at the thought.'

No, that wasn't right.

If the blonde remembered correctly, his research into them revealed that shinobi were severely limited in what they could and couldn't do to compensate for their elevated status in society. They were only able to act through their superior's specific orders. Human weapons to be utilized until they ceased to exist.

"That's technically true. However, the world is constantly changing, making way for new things, while phasing others out," his homeroom teacher began, cutting off Bakugou's train of thought. Taking a few steps forward until he stood a few feet in front of them. Aizawa explained, "The government's need to use shinobi for the country's defense was always meant to be a temporary state of affairs. Once they are no longer needed, those in the program will need a new career path."

He waved a hand toward them. "Your interactions with them could easily have real-life ramifications. I ask you this. Would you rather have them as your allies or your enemies? It's up to you."

All heads turned back to the trio. They stood before them proudly, fiery resolve shining brightly in each of their eyes.

"Shinsou, start us off on the introductions," Aizawa yawned. This was the most talking he'd done in a long time. Though his sleeping bag was nowhere in sight. He'd have to wait for the next period to squeeze a morning nap in.

The purple-haired insomniac took a hesitant step forward. For a supposed future hero, he didn't look comfortable with everyone's attention on him. "I'm Shinsou, obviously. I've met some of you at the Sports Festival," he started awkwardly, running a hand through his hair, which Bakugou suddenly realized was the same shade of purple as Iida's hair at the moment. "As usual, my luck is craptastic to be joining your class during this craziness. Here's hoping we survive," he finished with a nervous chuckle.

Aizawa immediately glared at him, which sent the mind control user scrambling to stand beside Deku. He patted Tail on the shoulder as he passed, whispering something in his ear.

The brunette jumped when she realized it was her turn. She attempted to take a few steps forward but immediately tripped over her own feet. The two hands of her comrades instantly grabbed the back of her shirt before she could faceplant on the ground. A few giggles escape the class before they were silenced by the impressively terrifying glares from the other two shinobi.

"Umm... My name is Tohru Honda~" she began nervously, cheeks red with embarrassment. "I hope we can all be friends and do our best this semester. Plus Ultra!" she cheered happily, her fist raised in the air as she said the school motto. The class immediately fawned over her cheerfulness and the weird sing-song way she spoke. Round Face, Horns, and Ponytail's squealing could be heard from the other side of the class.

"And you quirk?" Aizawa prompted gently.

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot~" Tohru apologized, repeatedly bowing to her new sensei. "My p-quirk is umm... its Transformation~" she admitted self-consciously.

"What the hell does that mean?" Bakugou muttered half to himself.

"How about a demonstration?" their teacher offered.

"Alright~" she responded uneasily. "Sorry in advance~"

The air around her immediately changed. The ditzy persona quickly replaced with someone more professional. She took a few steps forward, clapping her hands together and swiftly waving her hands towards the class in one fluid movement. As if she were pushing some sort of invisible energy at them. But nothing seemed to happen. The silence ringing loudly in their ears.

"Umm, what was supposed to..." RoundFace began to ask, though the astonished looks of her classmates stopped her from completing her inquiry. Multiple mouths hung open as they gaped at Uraraka. On top of her head were a pair of fluffy light brown cat ears. A matching tail curling around her to display her uneasiness. She mirrored their expressions.

"Y-you all have c-cat ears!" she stammered.

Everyone's hands flew up to their heads. Sure enough, the whole class was now part cat, even Hagakure had a floating pair on top of her head. The only ones who weren't affected were the people standing behind the kunoichi. Aizawa smiled at his class' expressions and excitement over being transformed into cat-human hybrids. Figured he would enjoy this. The teacher had a soft spot for cats, after all.

One of Bakugou's ears flicked in annoyance, and his fluffed up tail lashed angrily behind him as he tried to control his temper at being turned into something so adorable. He hissed under his breath. Cat instincts apparently being transferred along with this new form. Kirishima, on the other hand, was enjoying it, purring happily as he nuzzled against him. Apparently, a cat's way to comfort someone in a foul mood.

_Ribbons,_ as Bakugou would come to call her, dropped the effects with a simple clap of her hands. "My quirk allows me to transform anything in my line of sight into any form I desire as long as I know the physiology behind it. I can also transform the forms of non-living items, but that is trickier for me to do. I'm sorry for using my quirk on you without your permission. I hope you can forgive me~" she bowed apologetically. "I will try my best not to use it, but I sometimes have trouble controlling it when I'm flustered~" she admitted sadly, tears threatening to fall down her face.

The girls immediately bounded forward, enveloping her in a giant group hug. "Of course, we forgive you!" RoundFace sniffled. Happy tears flowing freely from her face.

"We'll be your friends!" Horns piped in, pulling her to where she had been standing next to Kaminari and Sero. "Stick with us, and no one will mess with you."

The brunette's answering smile was blinding. "Mvto! Thank you!~" she thanked, allowing herself to be dragged off by Mina. The rest of the girls following behind closely, giggling the whole way.

Next up was the other brunette. Unlike the other two, this shinobi remained where he was. "My name is Tsubasa Hitsuzen, though you all can go ahead and refer to by my first name since-," he pointed to the orange-haired teen beside him, "We share the same last name."

"So, your brothers?" Deku asked dumbly, which made Bakugou roll his eyes.

_Useless nerd._

Tsubasa nodded in response. Sharing a look with his brother, who looked extremely aggravated. "Yeah, we're actually twins..."

"But you look nothing alike," Kaminari blurted out.

This seemed to piss the orange-haired kid off, but a stern look from Aizawa-sensei kept him from murdering Dunce Face right then and there. Tsubasa laughed awkwardly before explaining lamely, "We're fraternal."

"As for my quirk," he continued, rolling his shoulders slightly. His eyes slowly flickering to a silvery blue color. And just like that, two large feathered wings slowly emerged from his back. Carefully coming through the thin slits made in his clothing and stretched out until they reached their full length. The class stared in awe. The feathers themselves were a reddish-brown color with darker patches striping them. The longer feathers along the edges becoming a brighter orangish-red, reminiscent of a red-tailed hawks tail feathers.

He flapped them once, and a large gust of wind was sent their way. Making the already chilly air twice as cold. Sending violent shivers down their spines. The gust was powerful enough that they had to hold their ground or risk being whisked away like the Purple-Pest. However, as the runt was flung back several feet, thanks to his small size, the wind changed its intensity. Grabbing hold of the now screeching grape like a spectral talon and gently lowered the pervert to the ground.

Looking back, the winged teen's hand was held out in front of him. Effectively controlling the air around him. "My quirk is called Tengu. Apart from being able to fly, I'm able to control the wind created by my wings," he explained.

Bakugou's scowl deepened.

_So his name is Tsubasa, and he has a winged quirk as well?_ The blonde thought to himself reminded of his other childhood friend, also named Tsubasa. He could feel Deku's concerned gaze on him, but he ignored it. No doubt thinking something that didn't matter. _Their _Tsubasa abandoned them without so much as a goodbye. It was the name and quirk of someone not worth remembering. This one would be no different.

"Thank you for welcoming us into your class. Let's try our best this semester," The winged shinobi finished with a bow before making his way into the crowd. Octopus and Birdbrain giving him a quick greeting when he came to stand beside them.

"Finally, it's my turn!" The crimson eyed teen smirked, taking a few steps forward. His movements incredibly smooth and graceful like that of a dangerous predator, despite the hands buried in his pockets. This guy radiated a powerful aura that instantly piqued Bakugou's interest.

"The name's Kyo Hitsuzen. Remember it, cause I'm gonna be the one beatin' lessons into ya this semester," he declared with a sadistic smile on his face, giving the class a good look at his unusually sharp canines, though nowhere near Kirishima's level. Just like his brother, he spoke in an unusual accent, though Kyo seemed to speak some sort of slang version.

Aizawa shot him a stern look. They seemed to have some kind of silent conversation before Kyo brought his attention back to the class. "As for my quirk... I'm not gonna tell you," He finished with a mischievous grin.

"Kyo..." Aizawa warned in a stern tone, stepping forward.

The Copper-haired teen _'tsked' _in annoyance. "Aizawa-sensei, you've tasked us with preparing your students for the future. You just told them that the most difficult part of a fight is adaptin' to an unknown enemy. Why spoil the fun by announcin' our quirks when it can be turned into an exercise?"

Aizawa frowned, thinking his proposal over. Taking his silence as permission to continue, Kyo addressed the class directly. "How about it? Any of you brave enough to take me on?" he snickered.

"I'll knock you down a peg," Bakugou declared, calmly stepping forward. His classmates scrambling to get out of his way. Knowing full well that nothing on this earth was scarier than a calm Bakugou Katsuki. His crimson eyes brimmed with so much intensity that its a wonder how Kyo hadn't erupted into flames. "Don't hold it against me if you end up dying."

The shinobi just smiled wider, cocking his head to one side. "Likewise," he purred, finally taking his hands out of his pockets. His lean body instantly dropping into a dangerous fighting stance, as long tan arms readied to defend or attack at the same time.

"Though that all depends if you can even lay a finger on me."


	3. Heroes Vs Shinobi

_The shinobi just smiled wider, cocking his head to one side. _

_"Likewise," he purred, finally taking his hands out of his pockets. Dropping into a dangerous stance, his arms ready to defend and attack at the same time. _

_"Though that all depends if you can even lay a finger on me." _

** _ Bakugou P. O. V. _ **

There's a slight chill in the air with the changing of the seasons, as Class A watched two destructive powers stalk each other around the training ground. Two pairs of crimson eyes silently measured up their respective opponents. No one in the audience dared make a sound as the seconds dragged on. The tension in the sweltering air absolutely smothering as they waited for the inevitable booms of Bakugou's devastating explosions. It might have been their nerves, but the area around them already felt warmer.

Bakugou was uncharacteristically calm, which terrified his classmates. He would usually charge in explosions blazing, but for some reason, was content to observe his enemy first. Perhaps he finally learned his lesson after failing to get his Provincial License. Deku watched his childhood friend face off against an unknown enemy. His muscular body crouched in his usual fighting stance, ready to pounce with deadly accuracy, but still, he held his attack. Deku, of course, had a few theories as to why he would behave like this, though there was no way to be sure until the scene before him played out.

**_"Though that all depends if you can even lay a finger on me." _ **

The shinobi's words echoed in the ash-blonde's head again as the teens circle each other for the third time. The playful smirk never left Kyo's face. Only growing more pronounced as he continued to circle the Beast of Class 1A. He was baiting him, that much was clear. He wanted Bakugou to lose his cool. To charge in blindly and fall prey to his mysterious quirk. But unfortunately for him, taunts don't work on Bakugou anymore.

_I'm going to do more than lay a finger on you. I'm going to blow that smug look off your fucking face, _Bakugou vowed silently.

He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the teen's movements. They were incredibly fluid and precise. Not an ounce of energy wasted in any move he made. No doubt achieved through the shinobi's years of experience in the field. Despite Bakugou's natural ability, that wasn't something he could ever hope to emulate in the measly months he had been at UA. The apparent gap in their combat skills already put Bakugou at a considerable disadvantage. Not to mention his rival's most significant advantage over him. The fact that the explosive hero had no idea what his opponent's quirk was, while it was a safe bet to assume Kyo knew his thanks to the Sports Festival being broadcast across Japan.

However, knowing that the odds were severely stacked against him only brought a confident smirk to Bakugou's face.

_Well, I've never shied away from a challenge before, _

The thought further pumping him for the fantastic fight he could sense coming his way.

_This is going to be fun._

Before they could circle their makeshift arena for the fifth time, Bakugou suddenly lunged forward. Swinging his usual explosive right hook. Though this time, he aimed for the ground instead of attacking his opponent directly. Filling the air with thick black smoke and ungodly heat, which immediately enveloped his opponent. The powerful blast sent the resulting debris flying toward the concealed shinobi at devastating speed. High-speed projectiles, any average person wouldn't be able to see coming until they pelt him within the smokescreen. Without letting up his attack, Bakugou aims another explosive swing where he believed Kyo was but hit nothing but air.

Before Bakugou can regain his bearings, something substantial abruptly collided with his gut, almost knocking the wind out of him. The hero's reaction severely delayed due to the compromised field of vision from his own explosion. While the hothead was thrown back from the force of the blow, he manages to recover enough to slide to a stop before he crashed into the ground. Bakugou's teeth clenched tightly to force himself to resist the urge to check on the injury.

He proceeded to glare daggers at the cloud of smoke, slowly dissipating to reveal a slightly disheveled teen crouched incredibly low to the ground. Having successfully dodged or reflected, most of the debris hurled at him. A piece of rubble tossed playfully up and down in one of his hands.

"Come on. That can't be everything you've got?" Kyo mocked.

"Of course not! I'm just getting started!" the ash-blonde assured with a sadistic grin. His nitroglycerin drenched palms, instantly raising to point themselves at Kyo. His classmate's paling as they realized he was preparing for one of his AP shots. A devastating barrage of explosions was swiftly unleashed on the copper-haired teen as Bakugou used one of his new special moves. His AP Shot: Auto-cannon.

"Now die!"

As much as Bakugou hated to admit it. This punk was good. Kyo had managed to dodge all of his blasts by using pieces of rubble to detonate the explosions early before it had a chance to reach him. Only the shinobi's clothes seemed to be taking a beating, as they were repeatedly torn in places from a mixture of explosions and shrapnel. While the hero's attacks weren't actually inflicting any physical damage to his opponent, they were still working out as planned.

While Kyo was busy dodging his attacks, Bakugou managed to momentarily catch the shinobi off guard when the explosive teen suddenly emerged from the smoke of a tactfully placed blast used to hinder the shinobi's line of sight. Kyo's crimson eyes widened in surprise as the ash-blonde sparks his palms to life, ready to shove it right in the copper-haired teen's smug face. Kyo had barely jumped back in time to avoid the blonde's wrath.

Bakugou had been studying the shinobi carefully throughout the fight. After testing the limitations of Kyo's combat abilities, the blonde eventually determined that his long-range attacks were too slow to work against his opponent, with how effortlessly they were dodged. The shinobi's speed was simply too great for any long-ranged attacks to ever catch him off guard. And once you coupled that with his insane reaction time, there was only one course of action left.

_Get in close and beat the crap out of him!_

Testing the shinobi's speed wasn't the only reason he pelted him with a barrage of explosions. Bakugou had slowly herded him closer to the edge of their battleground to where his classmates were stationed, to cut off his escape route to the rear. Noticing how he often retreated by jumping backward instead of to the sides. There should be a split second where the shinobi's attention will falter when he realizes the quick change in his surroundings. And Bakugou plans to exploit that weakness.

Right on cue, Kyo's attention was torn from the blonde to take in the hero students blocking his path. With an opening exposed, Bakugou kicked off the ground to increase his speed with the aid of his quirk to quickly close the distance between them. However, the instant he picked up his foot, crimson eyes snapped back to him. A knowing grin calmly spreading across Kyo's face. It is then that Bakugou knew he royally fucked up.

For the first time during their match, Kyo effortlessly sidesteps out of the way. His feet creating slight drag marks in the sand. Bakugou's sparkling palms nearly smashed into a terrified Deku. The hothead's anger toward the nerd delaying his reaction.

At the last second, Bakugou flipped his wrist toward the sky to stop his momentum by using an explosion to force himself to land. Causing him to _accidentally_ stomp violently on one of Deku's feet in the process. Earning him a satisfying shriek for his trouble. But hey, that's better than an exploding palm to the face.

"Sorry, Nerd," he muttered passively, his eyes still locked on Kyo gracefully drifting across the ground. At the same time, Bakugou thrust another explosion at the shinobi with his other arm. The copper-haired teen just barely evaded the near point-blank attack and skidded to a stop a few feet away. The fabric around his shoulder completely scorched and falling apart at the seams. The front of Deku's clothes was also singed ever so slightly, but unfortunately had no burns to show for it.

"Whew, that was close!" Kyo whistled, pulling at the disintegrating fabric on his shoulder. Which instantly came apart in his hands, to reveal the beginnings of a burn underneath. "But you're gonna have to try harder if you actually wanna touch me."

Bakugou doesn't bother replying. Not willing to get roped into his taunts. He continued to release a series of fast close-range explosions. The shinobi seemed content to keep dodging his attacks. Confident that he would never get hit. Not even bothering to block them with his arms.

Gritting his teeth, Bakugou unleashed an erratic volley of explosions. Testing Kyo's defenses by continuously fluctuating the intensity and range of each one. Throwing in numerous feints and kicks to try and trip him up. The explosive teen's body on auto-pilot as his mind focused on working through his options with lightning speed.

_Speed's not his quirk,_ the explosive hero mused to himself.

While Kyo's speed was impressive, as a quirk, Bakugou could think of many that were faster. His eyes zero in on the sweat starting to glisten on his opponent's brow and the rigidness of his muscles. He was beginning to tire and slow down. A quirk wouldn't give out so soon, at least it shouldn't be with someone so skilled. Bakugou risked a glance at his classmates on the sidelines, his gaze settling on where the shinobi's brother was standing beside Tokoyami and Shoji.

_Does he have some sort of wind manipulation quirk like his brother?_

He theorized to himself. It was common knowledge that families tended to have similar quirks to one another. Children either manifested a parent's quirk or their parent's quirks will merge to create a new quirk altogether, as was the case with Bakugou. An air quirk could explain how he could move with such fluid movements and dodge with little energy expended.

_However…. _

Crimson eyes scanned the smoke which blew lazily around them. Any wind manipulation would affect the smoke, which wasn't happening at the moment.

_No, he just hasn't used it yet._

The thought baffled him. How could Carrottop possibly last this long without using his quirk? Especially since Bakugou's been doing everything he could to blast him to pieces. 

_Is he waiting for me to wear myself out?'_

If Kyo's quirk was super powerful, it could be exhausting to use after a long period. While that would typically be a good strategy, that doesn't quite work against Bakugou, considering his quirk only gets more powerful with the more sweat he accumulates. The explosive hero grinned then. This gives him an idea.

Bakugou aimed another normal swing at his classmate's face. The shinobi casually moved out of the way as usual, but as he sidestepped, Bakugou opens his fist and flung some of the Nitroglycerin sweat from his palms. His leg was also twisted around to block Kyo from jumping back, as well as to the right. With no time to dodge, the highly flammable liquid hits the shinobi's face in time for a well-timed explosion to go off from Bakugou's hand, which extended and eventually ignites Kyo's face as well. Not waiting for him to recover, Bakugou used another explosion to charge into him, colliding his fist into Kyo's face hard, which sent him flying.

A cheer erupted from the sidelines as Bakugou finally got a substantial hit in. He was too focused on his fight to notice they had been watching in concerned silence. The explosive student allows himself to enjoy the sight of Kyo rolling along the ground, while the shinobi tried to slow himself to a stop. Bakugou sported a triumphant grin while his lungs breathed in as much oxygen as they could during this short reprieve.

Kyo eventually managed to recover and quickly settled back into a defensive crouch. His burned cheek, still steaming from Bakugou's attack. Crimson eyes bore into each other for a few seconds before Kyo unexpectantly straightened up. A determined smile on his face.

"Wow, I can't believe you actually got a hit in. Aizawa-sensei was right. You guys are tough," he laughed, making an elaborate show of dusting off his clothes. His laid-back attitude was putting Bakugou on edge. Kyo reached a hand to his burn, wincing slightly at the light touch.

His eyes suddenly hardened. "Unfortunately, for you, that just means it's my turn to attack. And Bakugou?"

Bakugou's ears perked at the mention of his name.

"Thank you for hitting me," Kyo thanked with a mischievous grin. Slowly bringing a hand up close to his face. "I can't use my quirk otherwise."

And with that, he snapped his fingers.

Bakugou flinched. First, from being reminded of Compress's quirk. Half-expecting himself to be shoved into that airless turquoise sphere again. Then again, from the flaring pain in his hand. The explosive hero cursed under his breath, thankful that the pain distracted him from the traumatic memories of his kidnapping. The resulting adrenaline grounding him to the present.

A confused look crossed Bakugou's features as he regarded the smoke wafting from his right hand. For a split second, he thought he accidentally activated his quirk out of fear. However, a quick inspection revealed the burns weren't on his palms, instead, they were centered around his knuckles. Exactly where he had punched Kyo before. Dread making his blood run cold while his red eyes widened in realization.

** _ …. _ **

**_"Though that all depends if you can even lay a finger on me." _ **

**_…. _ **

**_"...you're gonna have to try harder if you actually wanna touch me." _ **

**_…. _ **

**_"Thank you for hitting me…. I can't use my quirk otherwise." _ **

** _…. _ **

Bakugou let out an aggravated growl. 

_How could I be so stupid!_

He had been so proud of himself for not falling for Kyo's taunts before.

Only for it to be revealed that he was being led around by the nose the entire time. Leave it for a shinobi to speak in fucking code. To passively explain everything, Bakugou needed to know about his quirk from the fucking start. The explosive hero was suddenly painfully aware of all the slide marks and rubble on the ground. He was so fucked.

"I see you figured it out," Kyo noticed, picking up a piece of rubble off the ground. Casually tossing it up and down. To the rest of the class, he explained, "My Quirk is called Detonate. It allows me to turn everything I touch into a tickin' time bomb. One I can trigger remotely."

With another snap of his fingers, the piece of rubble exploded into dust. Blowing away ominously in the breeze. Like Bakugou's chances of victory.

"Now it's my turn to attack," Kyo announced. His tone suddenly taking on a darker quality.

Bakugou was up Shit Creek. Forced on the defensive while he dodged explosion after explosion on the ground. Utilizing his quirk's versatile flying capabilities to keep his contact with the sand to a bare minimum. Now that Kyo's footsteps had successfully turned the very landscape into a fucking minefield with all his jumping and sliding around earlier. Not only that, but all the rubble that Kyo used to block his attacks earlier could be detonated at any second with just a simple snap of his fingers.

Man, how he wished he could break those fingers. However, Bakugou was having trouble enough, just dodging these explosions. Let alone actually getting close enough to deliver a blow to the shinobi. Even if he did manage to touch him, the blonde would risk blowing himself up in the process.

An explosion detonates in front of him, singing his ash-colored locks and covering his right side in a thick layer of soot. Annoyed, the original explosive teen blasted himself into the sky. Needing a few blissful seconds to gather his thoughts together in peace. Bakugou passively wondered if this is how his classmates felt whenever they had to fight him.

Once out of firing range, the tenacious teen allowed himself to casually free-fall while he assessed the situation. The cold air above helped to clear his head while the slight stinging of his fresh burns fueled his need for vengeance.

From above, Bakugou could see all the damage they had done to the training ground. It was going to take the school a long time to clear all the debris away, for it was an absolute wreck. Massive craters littered the entire field from Kyo's explosions, while the rubble from Bakugou's attacks would take weeks to pick up.

Bakugou's opponent made no attempt to follow him into the sky. Probably not as comfortable maneuvering in the air as he was. Surprising since his brother possessed a flying quirk. Instead, the quirk-copycat leisurely paced around the battlefield. Replenishing the bombs he had already used while waiting for Bakugou to land again.

_Great._

Bakugou never imagined that he'd fight someone with a similar quirk as him. Now he understood how Kirishima felt when he met that guy from Class B. This connection sparked an idea. Because their quirks were so similar, it would be fair to assume they shared near-identical weaknesses as well.

The explosive teen hastily thought of the logistics of his own explosion quirk and how they might affect his adversary. Like Bakugou, his explosions must also place a physical strain on his body. With the more massive blasts sapping his stamina faster. Kyo already appeared to be getting tired. His speed steadily getting slower as the fight dragged on. The shinobi's muscles, especially in the shoulders, became more tense and rigid. However, unlike Bakugou's quirk, Carrottop's was triggered remotely.

_He couldn't possibly be feeling the effects of recoil, could he? Maybe he injured himself during his roll earlier?_

He pushed the thoughts away. The reason didn't matter much. Only the fact that it slowed him down considerably. The hothead's own arms ached with the extended use of his quirk. Screaming for him to put an end to this cocky bastard already.

_ I better wrap this up. _

The hero's body expertly twirled in mid-air with the sole purpose of dive-bombing Kyo. Bakugou wished he could have used his Howitzer Impact, but the move would've killed his whole class at such close proximity. So this would have to do.

After revealing his detonation quirk, Kyo didn't seem to concerned with dodging any of Bakugou's attacks anymore. Choosing instead to block with his body, furthering his advantage over his opponent. This meant Bakugou could use the shinobi's arrogant strategy to his advantage.

As Bakugou predicted, Kyo swiftly reached up to grab hold of the blonde, but a last-minute blast to change his direction was enough to keep from getting caught in the other teen's grasp.

Countering the copper-haired teen's move, Bakugou grabbed hold of Kyo's outstretched arm and threw him with the extra force of an explosion. Slamming the shinobi hard onto the ground, but not before both of Bakugou's hands detonated from the contact.

Pain immediately flared across his palms, but it's ignored. Thankfully his thick skin helped protect him from burns, especially on his palms, so Kyo's quirk wasn't as effective as it could have been. It was a reckless attack. Bakugou knew that. But as the fight progressed, it became painfully clear that the only way to defeat Kyo was to get in close. Hopefully, putting the shinobi down before his quirk burned Bakugou to hell. Just like his fight against All Might, this wasn't an opponent he could afford to fight without being willing to take risks.

"You think fighting someone with a similar quirk as me is my worst-case scenario? I hate to break it to you, but I've already lived through my mine!" Bakugou challenged, flexing his hands in anticipation of the shinobi's next move. "Try harder next time!"

The copper-haired teen recovered quickly, but he was breathing hard. Obviously exhausted, but even still, his eyes continued to shine brightly. The chaotic grin never leaving his face. Only growing as time passed. It was only then that Bakugou realized he was grinning like a madman too. It had been way too long since he was allowed to blow off so much steam. To be able to fight so freely without having to worry about getting killed in the process.

Both explosive teens charged each other. Explosions from both sides, shredding their clothes in their frenzy to get the upper hand on their opponent. Their movements quickly blurring together as they continued to evade each other's attacks until their watching classmates had trouble distinguishing one from the other. Crimson eyes locked together, neither willing to give up until a winner was decided. Their intensity, however, was apparently freaking their class out. Some of them voicing their concerns.

"They're going to destroy the whole school at this rate."

"Are we really going to be stuck with these two monsters all semester?!"

"We're all going to get murdered!"

"We better not get stuck cleaning this mess up."

In their frenzy, Bakugou heard the distant voice of Aizawa-sensei telling them to stop. He could already feel the dampening effects of the eraser hero's quirk on his body. The blast he had aimed at Kyo's chest only half the size he had intended it to be. The blonde gritted his teeth angrily. Bakugou didn't want to stop. He couldn't. There was no way in hell that he was going to let his teacher steal this victory from him. He was only a few moves away from ending this match for good.

Kyo must have felt the same as him.

Before, the blonde had the opportunity to do something stupid, like attack Aizawa in his crazed state. The shinobi promptly pulled something reflective from his pocket. Pointing it towards their teacher, effectively blinding him for a few seconds.

A chorus of shocked gasps sounded behind them. Feeling his quirk flare back to life, Bakugou aimed a powerful explosion at the ground under the shinobi's feet. Forcing Kyo to jump to avoid being pelted the debris.

"Your mine," Bakugou laughed sadistically, blasting into the air, but not before grabbing the front of Kyo's shirt as he passed. Unable to dodge Bakugou while in the air, they both rocketed into the sky. Kyo desperately trying to break the blonde's hold on him. Detonating the crap out of his wrists and dealing heavy blows to the hero's body, but the blonde's hands maintain their death grip on Kyo. A satisfied smirk on his face.

Once they were high enough up that Aizawa couldn't cancel their quirks without risking their lives, Bakugou lifted his hand toward the sky as he had done in his fight with Deku.

"Game over," he shouted at the top of his lungs, before rocketing them back to earth.

"Not yet!" Kyo promised over the deafening whooshing of wind in their ears. Swiftly using one of his hands to trace the entire length of his side. At the very last second, he managed to twist them around by detonating part of his own body. Throwing off their trajectory enough, so they both landed painfully on their sides. The force of their crash knocking them away from each other. The resulting dust cloud hiding them from the class's view.

A quick scuffle could be heard within the smoke, before falling silent. Everyone watched the smoke cloud slowly disperse in stunned silence. No one dared to move. When the smoke finally cleared, it revealed a frustrated looking Bakugou with both of Kyo's hands poised to snap his fingers on either side of his head. Meanwhile, Bakugou's own sparkling hands hovered just above Kyo's heart and throat.

It was a stalemate. And both Bakugou and kyo looked absolutely pissed about it.

"No fair. I should've had you!" Kyo pouted, lowering his hands first. Smoke still wafting from his ride side from where he had detonated himself. The exposed skin already colored an angry shade of red.

"Yeah, right. I would have found a way out and kicked your ass," Bakugou retorted, rolling his angry blood-red eyes. But despite his annoyed words, he was smiling. At least as much as Bakugou is capable of smiling.

Something hard and durable wrapped around both of them, pulling them roughly to the ground. Bakugou and Kyo exchanged a dazed look with each other before staring up at a furious looking Aizawa. His black hair standing on end and his eyes flashed red with the activation of his quirk and possibly murderous intent as well.

"I'm glad you two are starting to get along," the underground hero growled, tightening his hold on them. The capture weapon ground into them, irritating the multiple burns they both had along their bodies. "Because you'll be seeing a lot of each other while you serve detention for the next month."

"Fuck."

**_Tohru P. O. V. _ **

The rest of Class-A watched as their homeroom teacher dragged both explosive teens off to detention. Aizawa not even bothering to release them from his beloved capture weapon. The rest of the class was instructed to partner up and spar for the remainder of the period.

Tohru's worried gaze watched them retreat until they disappeared from view. She let out a defeated sigh. She had a feeling Kyo was planning a stunt like this, though she had hoped he was going to restrain himself at least a little bit.

_ Oh well._

A few feet away, she spotted her other comrade with a small group of students. Tsubasa currently chatting with a sweet-looking boy with green hair and freckles. The young hero student seemed to be asking questions at the speed of light while jotting notes just as quick in a scorched looking notebook.

"Your Tengu Quirk, is that a mutation coupled with some sort of Air Manipulation?"

"Sort of, it's more of a-"

"If that's the case, why does your brother have a detonation quirk?"

"That's because he-"

"Do you come from a family of Shinobi?"

"Yes we do-"

"What's your top speed?"

"I'm not exactly-''

Her teammate tried to answer all of his questions as best he could, but another question would be asked before he finished giving an answer to the previous one. She suppressed the urge to giggle, knowing Tsubasa behaved similarly when he found something he was interested in.

"Midoriya, it's not polite to bombard our guests with so many questions at once. Please limit yourself to three at this time," a tall boy with glasses and bright purple hair cut in. His arms making weird cutting motions in the air. He seemed to be trying to calm the other boy, but it was clear to anyone watching that he was too far gone to be helped.

On the hero's other side was a tall girl with beautiful black hair pulled into a long ponytail. Her onyx eyes studied Tsubasa's wings with curious fascination. She looked like she wanted to touch them, but waited patiently for permission. Though with the rate the freckled boy was rattling off questions, she would probably be waiting for a very long time.

The last person in their group was a boy with half white, half red hair. He didn't appear to be that interested in what they were talking about. Just content to stand there with his friends. Every now and then he would give a gentle reminder to his classmate, telling him he had to take a breath before he passed out.

"What do you think you're doing?" a voice asked cooly behind her.

Startled, she whipped around to offer her sincerest apologies for whatever she was doing wrong. Her frantic eyes focused on a boy with bright spiky red hair. He was frowning, something that seemed to look so utterly wrong on his soft face. The redhead had a subtle scar above one of his eyes, which, to her confusion, were not looking at her. Following his gaze down, she saw what she assumed was a child with weird spherical purple hair.

The boy seemed panicked about getting caught. Though Tohru didn't understand why. He didn't appear to be doing any harm. He stood unusually close to her with some weird rectangular device held out in front of him, which seemed to be pointed in her general direction. On closer inspection, she realized it was a phone, similar to the one Aizawa-sensei provided the trio upon arriving in this world. The brunette had never seen a phone quite like it before. She was excited to learn they had a camera feature….

Realization suddenly hit her. Her face turned bright red in embarrassment.

"Mineta, you didn't," another voice chimed in. The familiar pink form of Mina coming to stand in front of the kunoichi. Shielding her from the pervert.

"C'mon man. I can appreciate a hotty when I see one, but taking photos like that is not very cool," a boy with golden hair added. Resting a casual arm on the pinkette.

The redhead held his hand out to his smaller classmate. "Hand it over," he urged, motioning for the phone. He was met with little resistance, the phone is eventually placed in his hand.

"Now, you can have this back when you made it up to Honda-san. Understand?"

There's a weak nod from the class pervert, who then sulked off somewhere else. The response satisfied the redhead, so he nods back in agreement while pocketing the phone.

"I'm very sorry that you had to deal with that. Mineta can be… well, there's really no excuse for his behavior," the redhead apologized for his classmate's rude behavior. While he spoke, he applied a large amount of hand sanitizer to his hands. Courtesy of a tall boy with black hair and bulky elbows. "My name is Kirishima Eijiro. Would you like to spar with me Honda-san?" he asked, his face bright like the sun.

Tohru couldn't help but brighten up in response. "I would love too!~" she beamed. "And you don't have to be so formal. Tohru is just fine with me~"

"Alright, Tohru!" He smiled even brighter if that was even possible. Offering his hand to lead her a little way off, so no one would get caught up in their fight.

A few girls cry out in disappointment as Tohru is whisked away from them. They had hoped to be turned back into the cat forms they were in earlier. Tohru waved at them as she passed. Promising to hang out with them later.

"We'll do a simple sparring match," Kirishima began, backing a few paces from her. "We'll be using our quirks. The first person to pin the other or get their opponent to forfeit wins. Does that sound good to you, Tohru?"

Tohru nodded her head.

"Great. Mina, will you call the start of the match for us?"

"Sure thing Kiri!" Mina called from a safe distance away. Kaminari and Sero standing next to her. "Get ready, get set, GO!"

Kirishima immediately activated his quirk, waiting for Tohru's attack. However, the brunette was taken off guard for a second, seeing his quirk in person. She knew he had a hardening quirk thanks to the info Aizawa provided them. But reading about a quirk and seeing it first hand were two different things. She didn't expect Kirishima's quirk to be so fascinating to look at. Tohru absently wondered how it worked.

Distracted by her thoughts, the kunoichi doesn't remember she's in a sparring match until Kiri appeared right in front of her with a hardened fist preparing to strike. Surprised, Tohru just managed to dodge the attack. The brunette attempted to counter with medical ninjutsu when Tohru remembered she was only allowed to use her transformation powers in front of others while they remained in this world.

Tohru was suddenly hyper-aware of the 20 pairs of curious eyes on her as she sparred with Kirishima. Probably expecting another great spectacle like the one Kyo performed with one of their most powerful classmates. That was just too much pressure for Tohru to deal with.

_What do I do? _

_What do I turn him into? _

_What would Kyo do?' _

She panicked.

Tohru clapped her hands together in an attempt to focus her powers. 

_Alright, turn him into a bunny. Bunnies are easily scared, so he'll flee the second I make a move towards him. _

A smile pulled at her lips as a battle strategy began to take shape.

_In my cat form, I will be able to capture him quickly._

That was the plan anyway.

Tohru looked back at Kirishima. Her transformation powers already being directed at him with the image in her mind. When she noticed for the first time that the cute little horns he had on top of his head look an awful lot like cat ears.

A pair of red cat ears instantly popped on top of Kirishima's head along with a long fluffy tail. The girls in the class shrieked in a mixture of excitement and jealousy as Kirishima was turned into the most precious thing ever. The redhead, on the other hand, was staring at his hands, noticing that his hardening quirk had reduced dramatically from Tohru's power. Only his nails remained elongated and sharp, though he had no idea if it was because of his quirk or hers. For the most part, Kirishima took the change in stride. Having promised himself to never back down from a challenge ever again.

However, Tohru was flustered by her mistake.

_I lost focus again,_ she berated herself harshly.

With an ability as powerful as hers, along with one that relied heavily on her thoughts. It was extremely dangerous for her to get distracted when fighting, or ever, for that matter. She pushed her worries to the back of her mind. Wandering down that dark rabbit hole was something she should never venture down for too long. Instead, Tohru clapped her hands together in an attempt to calm herself and change him back to normal, but her powers picked up on the chaotic state of her mind and refused to activate. The brunette sighed to herself. She figured that would happen.

Kirishima closed the distance with his renewed agility. Aiming a subdued swipe at her arm. She sidestepped him easily. Her movements even more graceful than Kyo were in his fight with Bakugou. The kunoichi smiled to herself. Kyo was definitely the most talented fighter out of the three, but Tohru is the fastest. Her specialty involving evasion since she disliked hurting people when she could help it. The twins had always told her that she moved with a grace that they could never hope to copy, though that only applied when she's performing. The rest of the time… Her mind recalled her tripping during her introduction to the class. Her cheeks burned red in embarrassment at the memory.

Something dragging her backward interrupted her ever scattered thoughts. Her sapphire eyes darted over her shoulder to see a clawed hand clutching the back of her shirt, pulling her down toward the ground. She hastily unzipped her jacket to free herself from Kirishima's hold. Jumping back a safe distance while he struggled to untangle his claws from the fabric. When he managed that, he charged her with a determined grin on his face.

Tohru dropped into a low crouch. Her hands scooping up as much sand as possible. When he was within range, she flung it out in front of her. With another clap of her hands and a clear image in her mind. The kunoichi imagined the chemical makeup of the sand changing to stone.

Sure enough, the sand congealed together, morphing into multiple large rocks, which Kirishima crashed into before they had the chance to hit the ground. A surprised hiss escaped his lips as he comically rubbed where one hit him square in the forehead. His cat ears laid flat against his head while his tail swayed sadly behind him.

"Sorry!~" Tohru couldn't help but apologize, which earned her a few amused giggles from the sidelines.

The redhead laughed as well. "No worries! We're sparring after all."

"Right~" Tohru agreed, trying to focus.

They continued sparring for another 10 minutes before Kirishima finally managed to pin her-gently Tohru noticed-to the ground. He did an incredible job using his new form against her. He must have a lot of knowledge of cats because he utilized all their strengths perfectly.

Tohru, on the other hand, was too flustered to recover from her initial mistake. It was more difficult than she imagined to only use her transformation powers than she first believed. Especially by herself instead of offering support to her friends. Never liking to use her abilities to cause harm, she's mainly relied on supporting her allies and using her skills to subdue or handicap opponents. It wasn't until Kyo offered that she shouldn't think of fighting as inflicting harm but to think of it as protecting herself and those important to her that she was finally able to use them against others. However, attacking head-on by herself was still something new for her. It looks like she'd have to practice more.

Kirishima let go of his hold on her and offered her a hand up. "Wow, Tohru, you were amazing!" The redhead grinned. The cat ears on top of his head, making him look even cuter than usual.

"Thanks!~" Tohru replied back happily. Taking the offered hand thankfully.

"Can I ask you something?" He asks, helping her to her feet.

"Of course!~"

He scratched the back of his head, awkwardly. "Well, I was wondering why you didn't turn yourself into an animal form?"

Tohru blinked at him a few times. Her sapphire eyes slowly look up as her hands felt the top of her head. Her face turned as red as Kirishima's hair when she realized she never used an animal form on herself.

"Umm…. because I got flustered when I turned you into a form I didn't mean to, and well, I guess I forgot to transform myself," she mumbled in an embarrassed tone. Her hands covering her face from view. Tohru felt like she was never going to live down the embarrassment she was currently feeling. She was so thankful that Kyo ended up getting detention.

The redhead's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment as well. "I'm sorry, Tohru. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just curious!" He stammered quickly. Kirishima gently removed her hands from her face and held them gently in his. "It's alright, Tohru. Everyone gets flustered ever now and then. And it is easy to forget things when we are. We're all still working on controlling our powers. So there's nothing to worry about. No one's going to think any less of you. Alright?"

Tohru can sense the sincerity of Kirishima's words. She looked around at the group around them. She saw nothing but a sea of smiling faces looking back at her. Some of which were nodding in agreement to Kirishima's words.

Tohru found herself smiling as well. She'd only ever felt this accepted by her comrades, but maybe she could find companionship in this group of students as well. "Yeah, let's do our best together~."

The redhead offered her some advice as they watched the other students break off to spar. He suggested that rather than focusing on using her powers on her opponents, she should instead focus on transforming herself. This way, her opponents wouldn't be able to use the animal traits against her as he had done in their fight. Kirishima also believed that maybe this will give her a confidence boost in her own powers instead of offering support to others.

The hero's assessment took Tohru by surprise. She didn't recall telling him that she was self-conscious about her abilities due to her usually providing support to the twins.

_Was it a lucky guess?_

They were interrupted by Aizawa's sudden return. The exhausted teacher dismissed the rest of the class early. A reward for them not killing each other while he was gone. While the rest of the class started to leave, Aizawa reminded Mina, Kaminari, and Sero that they also have detention for the prank they did to the class president. It turned out, Iida's natural hair color wasn't purple, after all. The class offered them their condolences as the trio obediently filed behind the raven-haired hero as he led them back toward the school.

**_Kyo P. O. V. _ **

It was a longer walk back to the classroom than Kyo would have liked. The burns on his side flared painfully with each step. What remained of his shirt and the bandages on his chest rubbed roughly against his injuries and his other still healing wounds uncomfortably. It took all of his willpower not to wince at the discomfort.

He could feel eyes on him from the students from other departments, though he resisted the urge to look around. Kyo had grown accustomed to people regarding him warily, with his incredibly bright orange hair and intimidating blood-red eyes. For a shinobi, he stuck-out like a sore thumb. Kyo gritted his teeth together. He didn't need to justify himself to anyone.

When they arrive at the classroom, Aizawa ushered them in, before slamming the massive door behind them. The growing cold with the incredible amount of malice rolling off his body. A more tremendous aura Kyo thought the underground hero was capable of producing. He was actually impressed. Though he maintained his casual demeanor.

Aizawa glared daggers at him as he towered over the copper-haired teen. Kyo resisted the instinct to growl at the person invading his personal space, though he allowed his crimson eyes to narrow into a death glare at the raven-haired hero. The hero doesn't look that impressed by his self-control, which ticked Kyo off even further. He could feel the temperature starting to rise with his agitation, so he forced himself to calm down. Reluctantly breaking eye contact before he blew them all sky-high on accident.

Aizawa seemed pleased by his submissive response. He held his hand out to him. "Hand it over," the pro-hero ordered vaguely.

Kyo _tsked,_ before fishing out a kunai from his pocket. It was what he used to blind the underground hero during the last leg of the fight.

_I guess I shouldn't have done that,'_ Kyo mused to himself.

The shinobi reluctantly handed the weapon over to his new sensei, though he gave it a playful twirl before he dropped it into the man's hand. Aizawa regarded it thoughtfully for a few moments before letting out a long sigh.

"Empty your pockets," he ordered.

"Why?" Kyo muttered, crossing his arms impatiently.

"You expect me to believe this is all of it?"

The copper-haired teen really wanted to protest, but the look Aizawa shot him told him that he was absolutely done with his hijinks today. Not wanting to get expelled on his first day, Kyo gritted his teeth and started withdrawing an assortment of kunai and shuriken from his pockets. Even opting to unclip his hidden arsenal on his belt as a show of good faith.

Blatantly ignoring the weird look, Bakugou directed at him as Kyo removed an ungodly amount of weapons from his person.

"There, you happy?" the explosive shinobi spat.

"Rarely," Aizawa deadpanned in a bored tone. "Is this everything?"

"What, do you want me to strip down to my underwear?!" Kyo growled angrily. Steadily losing his patience.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "I told you yesterday that weapons are prohibited on school grounds. You will only be allowed to use them in class, or have you forgotten that?" the underground hero looked like he was ready to strangle him at this point.

Kyo crossed his arms angrily. "Yeah yeah, whatever."

"I mean it. I will strip search you before every class if I must. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Now both of you take a seat," Aizawa ordered with an exasperated sigh. The two obliged without question. Bakugou took his usual seat while Kyo sat down at Kaminari's desk a few seats over.

"You're both to sit in silence and reflect on why you're here until Lunch. Please refrain from killing each other or blowing anything up," he finished with a yawn and a wave as he left the room. His sleeping bag tucked under his arm as he headed toward the teacher's lounge for a well-deserved nap.

As soon as he left, Bakugou shifted in his seat to place both legs up on his desk. Slouching his body in his chair in a more comfortable position. Kyo smirked at that. It seemed he wasn't the only one that enjoyed breaking the rules. The shinobi placed his own legs onto his borrowed desk. Reaching a hand into one of his combat boots to pull a hidden kunai from within it.

Kyo then proceeded to casually throw it up into the air and catch it, in the same manner one would do with a ball. Throwing the kunai was more to help distract himself from his injuries and fatigue more than anything else. He was still exhausted after traveling to this world, and his intense fight with Bakugou did not help. Eventually, the familiar motion allowed him to lose himself comfortably in his thoughts. Aizawa had no idea what sort of monster he unleashed on himself when he told Kyo he couldn't bring weapons to school.

**_Flashback: _ **

Kyo let out a huge yawn as he stretched from his impromptu bed on a nearby bench. Aizawa had been scolding that purple-haired eavesdropper for the better part of an hour. Exhausted from traveling and losing interest after Aizawa confirmed the kid wasn't a threat,_ just stupid_, Kyo had decided to regain some of his stamina with a much-needed catnap.

From what the shinobi was able to discern, the all-mighty Aizawa had a habit of adopting strays. He had taken in the insomniac teen a few months ago after the pro-hero took an interest in his performance at the so-called UA Sports Festival. The teen had no family to speak of and could benefit from a positive guardian figure in his life.

So the underground hero did the unthinkable. He opened his life to the troubled teen, in the process, doing whatever he could to get him into the Hero Course. That was supposed to be the end of it, but a couple weeks ago, he took in yet another kid. A little girl, this time by the name of Eri. It was supposed to be a temporary thing, but the little girl managed to worm her way into what was left of Aizawa's heart. Thus completing the ragtag new family.

It was because of this worried new addition that brought Shinsou here in the first place. The little girl was concerned when Aizawa was late coming back home. Completely distraught that a villain had gotten him. Shinsou being the wonderful big brother he was, came to investigate after leaving Eri with some guy named Mirio.

So after Aizawa finished chewing the troubled teen out for disobeying his direct orders by coming here to eavesdrop on them. Shinsou humorously turned around to scold the raven-haired man for worrying the poor traumatized girl by not even giving them a phone call to say he was going to be late. The look on the underground hero's face was priceless, as he struggled with wanting to smack Shinsou and also feeling incredibly guilty for worrying Eri. Though he did end up hitting the teen with a stack of graded papers. So that was how Shinsou ended up getting drafted into their scheme to protect Class A.

"Looks like you get to be in the Hero Course after all," Aizawa announced unenthusiastically.

Shinsou's excited face quickly morphed into something bittersweet. "I kinda hoped that I wouldn't be risking my life the second I signed up, though."

"Well, next time don't eavesdrop on other people's conversations," Aizawa retorted with a shrug.

"Besides, risking your life is what it means to be a hero," the teacher explained, putting a reassuring hand on the former general ed student's shoulder before making his way to leave. "We better go get Eri and call it a day."

The underground hero reached for the door but paused with his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to the shinobi. His onyx eyes focused on Kyo. "I realize that you're all used to doing things your own way, but please refrain from using weapons outside of class. UA has a very strict _'No Weapons'_ Policy. They are only to be used during specific classes under the direct supervision of teachers. Even off of school grounds, this country frowns on the use of weapons. They are seen as a Villains tool."

"You've gotta be kidding!" Kyo exclaimed, thoroughly offended.

He took great pride in his weaponry skills. They were a massive part of his fighting style. He spent countless hours caring for them and even forged his own, as well as all the weapons his teammates used. They were apart of him. So much so that his soul's physical form was a fucking kunai for crying out loud. He was just expected to leave a part of himself every single day? Kyo's crimson eyes began to flicker a brighter shade of red as they narrowed in agitation at the hero before him.

"No fuckin' way."

Aizawa was not phased. He walked back over to the shinobi. Only stopping when he towered over Kyo with his hair standing up, his own red eyes glowing menacingly at him. The hero's quirk had a weird effect on his body. Not only did it stifle his powers considerably, but had the unexpected impact of flaring up his emotions. Fogging over his mind, which made it hard to focus. Kyo was convinced that was why he lost control of his actions during the end of the fight.

"Kyo. You are forbidden to bring weapons to school. Do you understand?"

The copper-haired shinobi_ tsked,_ but mumbled a "Yes sir," under his breath. Though when Aizawa looked away, Kyo smirked wickedly. 

_Yeah, right. Challenge accepted you, shinobi wannabe._

He had no intention of following that rule.

The movement of Tsubasa crossing his arms with a disapproving look on his face caught the mischievous shinobi's attention. Kyo rolled his eyes at his goody-two-shoes of a brother. His twin must have known that Kyo would never agree to such a rule. And without shedding blood, he's not obligated to either. Kyo had his own will after all.

The copper-haired teen was annoyed with all the secrecy, though. The shinobi understood why they couldn't come right out and inform the class of future heroes that they were in danger of dying horribly within a burning inferno. Still, it sure was preferable to keeping up the exchange student charade for a whole semester. The number of lies they'd end up telling by the end of this mission was going to be annoying as hell to keep straight between the five of them now? Or was it six?

Kyo sighed in exasperation. Gods, he fucking hated lying. But his brother tended to be right about these sorts of things, so he would follow his lead.

For now, at least.

**_End of Flashback _ **

The shinobi risked a glance at the other teen. The explosive teen's attention currently focused on the kunai casually being tossed in his hand. Kyo sighed. He really wanted to be friends with the blonde, but he now understood it wasn't going to be that easy. It seemed Aizawa wasn't just a stick in the mud about him bringing his arsenal to school. Weapons did have a negative connotation in this world, after all.

_They're not heroic or some shit. Yeah, fuckin' right, they're not._

Kyo tossed the kunai even higher. The tip just barely missing the ceiling before it flipped over on itself and plummeted back to earth. The copper-haired teen wasn't a weapon master for no reason. His tools didn't do anything he didn't want them too. They have definitely saved more lives than they've taken.

_The world is divided between heroes and villains, huh? And if you're neither your nothing,_ the orange-haired reminded himself glumly.

No shades of grey. Hardly any room for debate. Kyo was used to being ostracized by the locals since they tended to attract trouble wherever they went. However, it appeared that they were already being classified as something evil for who they were as people-or as Bakugou put it earlier, for being some sort of mindless soldiers.

_Way to go, Aizawa, _Kyo thought flippantly. It had been his idea for them to use something familiar as their backstory.

Kyo choked down the lump in his throat. He really should be used to it by now considering their bloodline. Even Tohru, who was 100% human, had been looked down on and hunted since birth. They're not supposed to fit in. They're not meant to plant roots. That's the whole point of their wandering curse. Why should this world be any different?

Still….he had hoped it would be.

As Kyo continued to fiddle with his kunai, he could feel Bakugou staring at him. He tried to ignore it at first. Not really in the mood to talk with how dark and self-deprecating his thoughts were turning. But as the minutes dragged on, it was becoming increasingly clear that Kyo wasn't going to get any peace until they addressed the elephant in the room.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Kyo asked tactlessly. Not bothering to stop what he was doing.

** _ Bakugou P. O. V. _ **

The original explosive teen couldn't help but stare at the kunai as it continued to be tossed up and down so casually. When they were fighting, Bakugou had mostly forgotten that Kyo was a shinobi. He seemed like the rest of his classmates, with his own personality and ideals. Kyo seemed too lively and mischievous to be a mindless living weapon that he had read about in history books. Though seeing him with an assortment of weapons, tools he used with deadly precision, Bakugou was reminded that Kyo has a different purpose than the one he strived to achieve.

Kyo was a shinobi. A person trained to kill without a second thought. A human weapon that must be prepared to kill despite that person's relationship with their assigned target. Whether that was a child, a friend, a significant other, or a family member. While Bakugou joked about killing the people around him when he's angered and had no qualms about killing villains who had already hurt countless people. At his core, Bakugou was and will always be, a hero. A person meant to save people, to protect those from people who wished to do others harm. Someone who should never be associated with those with little regard for human life.

Unlike Shinobi, Heroes maintained their individuality, their ideals, and their free will. They cared for their comrades and the wellbeing of everyone around them. Bakugou and Kyo should only ever be facing against each other with the intent of destroying the other. It was unnatural for them to be on the same side.

_Heroes save. _

_Shinobi kill. _

Simple as that. Only…. it wasn't that simple.

Bakugou thought back to how the twins stood up for their teammate when she tripped during her introduction. They both looked ready to fight anyone that even thought of laughing at her. That type of protective behavior didn't fit with the cut-throat mold that the shinobi were sworn to uphold. They were trained in a world in which only the strongest were meant to survive. Instead of standing up for her, they should have shunned her. Bakugou had only just met Kyo, but even the antisocial teen could tell the copper-haired shinobi didn't appear to be the type of person who would kill his teammates if ordered to.

Bakugou's crimson eyes narrowed in frustration.

_Why the hell would Aizawa-sensei think it was a good idea to bring them here?_

His mind angrily trying to solve the riddle of their unnatural presence in a hero school. But there were just too many contradictions in logic to come to any sort of conclusion. Bakugou couldn't figure out what he was supposed to make of them.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Kyo asked out of the blue. He didn't bother to stop tossing the kunai, though he did turn towards Bakugou. His crimson eyes looked tired.

The question caught Bakugou off guard. The future hero did, in fact, have a problem with him. But he didn't really want to address it right then. The ash-blonde also couldn't just blow up and deny it, because doing so would confirm that he did have a problem with the shinobi. Before he had the chance to respond, Kyo back-pedaled and rephrased the question.

"Sorry, I'm still a little jet-lagged. What I meant to ask you was, if what I'm doing now is bothering you?" Kyo paraphrased, waving the weapon in his hand. No longer tossing it.

Bakugou didn't believe that lie for a second but decided to ignore the deception for the moment. With a growl, he asked, "You mean breaking the no weapons on campus rule?"

Kyo shrugged. "Well that and me tossing it to make detention go by faster. You looked a little uncomfortable about it."

Bakugou _tsked_ at that. "Like I care what you do. If you want to get in even more trouble, that's up to you."

Crimson eyes studied his face for a long moment. Bakugou was used to Kirishima's scarlet eyes staring back at him, but Kyo's eyes were crimson just like his.

_Just like blood. _

It was unsettling. Thankfully Kyo broke eye-contact with him first. Twirling the kunai in his hand a couple times before suddenly stabbing the desk with it. The unexpected movement made Bakugou jump despite himself. A silent curse yearned to fall from the blonde's lips for Kyo, pulling that shit on him but ultimately settled on shooting the other student with a death glare instead.

"So it does bother you," affirmed the explosive teen quietly. His face taking on a thoughtful expression. "Why's that?"

Pissed off, Bakugou snarled, "First of all, it's _you_ that's bothering me. But also, I want to be a hero, and heroes have no use for weapons." Emphasizing his words with the sparkling fists which slammed onto his desk with such force, the wood groaned loudly in protest. Scorch marks slowly burning deeper into the desk while smoke billowed lazily to the ceiling. Bakugou trying his best not to blow anything up as Aizawa had asked. He had already exceeded his monthly desk limit.

The shinobi turned in his seat entirely, until he faced his classmate. "Really? Heroes never use weapons? Not at all?"

Bakugou reigned in his anger. Of course, that wasn't true. Aizawa never went anywhere without his capture weapon. Then there was all the support gear they used in the field. Most of which could easily be classified as weapons. His own gauntlets did more damage than the supposed_ weapon_ in Kyo's hand.

"We use support items, though we mainly rely on our quirks to defeat villains," the hothead finally answered.

"So you're bothered by the fact that_ this,"_ he yanked the kunai from the desk, "Is a tool solely used to kill, while your support items are meant to help utilize your quirk?" Kyo summarized. His tone was lower than it was before, more controlled and leveled. The copper-haired teen seemed annoyed. He rolled his right shoulder subtly, and Bakugou doesn't miss the way his eyes twitched ever so slightly in response. "Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but your reasoning is flawed."

"Say what?!"

"You heard me. You're wrong about this solely being a weapon." He twirled the kunai in his hands. The movement was so fluid and natural that it put Bakugou on edge. It wouldn't take much for Kyo to whirl it around and fling it at him. The shinobi must have sensed this because he stopped twirling it. Instead, he held the handle out to him for him to take. Bakugou hesitated briefly before carefully taking it from his hand.

The kunai was more substantial than he expected. The dark metal cool to the touch, and the wraps on the handle smoothed down from extended use. It was actually pretty despite its deadly capabilities. There were hardly and scratches on the weapons surface. Obviously well taken care of.

"You seem to know a lot about shinobi. Then you must know that a lot of our weapons were originally farming equipment that was then modified to meet our needs. Most of which are designed to be replaced easily and readily with objects lying around," Kyo explained with a smug grin on his face. Knowing full well that he was poking holes in Bakugou's reasoning. "That kunai in your hands is an essential tool for us, though it's mostly used as climbing equipment more than anything else. It has an infinite number of tasks it can perform. _'Weapon'_ is merely one of its functions. I'm willing to bet it has more uses than any of your support gear."

Before Bakugou could protest, Kyo continued. "A weapon's sole purpose isn't just for killing. They are tools to be used as their master wishes."

The ash-blonde scoffed at that. "That's rich coming from you. Aren't Shinobi just human weapons to be utilized as _their_ master wishes?" Kyo doesn't dispute this. He looked like he wanted to deny this claim, but held his tongue like a good little soldier. The one shred of the shinobi's rebellious spirit was reflected in the murderous eyes glaring back at him.

_ So he does just follow orders, huh?_

This aggravated Bakugou more than anything. He hated it when people didn't speak their minds. It annoyed him when people needlessly restrained themselves to make themselves look better. To Bakugou, it screamed that a person was weak-willed, vulnerable to getting taken advantage of by villains, which was incredibly dangerous. With his tenacious temper clouding his judgment, Bakugou continued to push Kyo's buttons. Hoping to get a rise out of him.

"So who's your master Carrot top? Or are you just on loan to the school for the moment?" the ash-blonde mocked ruthlessly.

A low warning growl escaped Kyo's mouth as he stood from his seat. His white knuckles standing out against his tan skin from how hard he clutched the desk. The wood crying out in protest.

Bakugou stood up as well. No way was he going to allow this punk to tower over him. "And here I thought you might be someone I could get along with, but no way am I going to even associate with someone who can't think for themselves. I refuse to be forced to wonder if the person next to me might stab me in the back if ordered to."

Bakugou's words were like a punch in the gut for Kyo. Even the hothead could see that in the way his classmate physically reacted after the words left his mouth. "I don't understand how someone like you allows themselves to be used? If ordered to, would you really kill your teammates?"

"Shut your mouth," Kyo growled under his breath. His orange bangs hiding his eyes from view. His lean body trembled in barely contained rage. "I'm warning you."

But Bakugou wasn't finished, not by a longshot. He needed answers, or he would never be able to relax with such dangerous people infiltrating his class. He would not stand in the presence of someone capable of doing terrible things to his classmates. Bakugou refused to sit back and allow the possibility of anything terrible to ever befall his new friends. He'd rather die than have any of them fall prey to the torture he had been forced to endure at the hands of his kidnappers. It was for this reason Bakugou needed to asses for himself the morals of these shinobi.

The ash-blonde gave the kunai in his hands a testing toss. Catching it clumsily when compared to Kyo's skillful display earlier. "If someone handed this to you and ordered you to kill your brother right now. Would you be able to slit his throat without a second thought?" Bakugou proposed darkly.

A deafening crack echoed through the room when Kyo snapped the edges of Kaminari's desk off, from his death grip on it. The air around them suddenly thick with scorching energy. It was overwhelmingly suffocating, even by Bakugou's standards. The explosive hero's wary eyes watched Kyo as he struggled to control himself from detonating everything around them. Blood slowly dripped from the side of his mouth

from him, biting his lip in a desperate attempt to control his anger.

"I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me, but you best believe that I would never hurt anyone important to me. Anyone stupid enough to even suggest something like that to me would be coughing up their own blood before they even finished their sentence," Kyo vowed in an icy tone. His eyes finally looking up from where they were hidden behind his orange hair, revealing glowing red eyes that looked nothing less than demonic. "You got that, _Baku-hoe?"_

The insult irked the ash-blonde. Bakugou attempted to take a step forward, but the menacing aura increased, forcing him to stay where he was. It was clear the shinobi meant what he said, and Bakugou really didn't want to clean up the resulting mess if he pushed the other explosive teen beyond the breaking point. The orange-haired teen remained silent. His eyes daring Bakugou to say something else to piss him off. His fingers poised to blow them both to hell with a single snap of his fingers.

Bakugou took a reluctant seat on top of his desk. Willing the majority of his anger to leave his body as he crossed his arms. "While I'm glad to hear you're not just some mindless lackey. You do realize what you just said was clear insubordination? You might want to keep such dangerous outbursts to a minimum," Bakugou stated in a guarded tone. His voice lacking its usual bite. The shinobi's expression was unreadable. Though after a moment's hesitation settled back into his seat as well.

Bakugou rolled his eyes at how reluctantly he fell back into line. "Are you a complete idiot? You can get yourself flogged for saying stuff like that, can't you? That's assuming they won't go straight for the more hardcore punishments like maiming or execution. Do you want to die?"

"Of course not!" Kyo shouted back, angrily. Realizing he was shouting, he took a deep breath and lowered his tone. "This was your fault anyway. If you didn't piss me off, maybe I wouldn't have incriminated myself," the shinobi hissed quietly.

"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugou yelled back, hopping back to his feet. "It's not like I'm going to turn you in. I'm just warning you to keep your fucking mouth shut about stuff like that."

Kyo regarded him for a few seconds. Bakugou could see the gears turning in his head as he debated whether or not his new classmate was telling the truth. Of whether he was going to trust him with such delicate information. Bakugou wasn't a sellout. He wouldn't rat someone out, no matter who they were. Just another deadly secret for him to keep.

_ Great._

After mulling it over, Kyo finally responded, "Well, I appreciate it." He stood up once more to extend a hand of truce to Bakugou. "We good now?"

Bakugou blinked dumbly at him for a few seconds before looking away. Both perplexed and annoyed at Kyo's constantly changing moods. But he took his hand and offered one reluctant shake in response. "Fucking whatever."

The door to the classroom slammed open then. The two explosive teen's managing to scramble back into their seats before Aizawa strolled in with the gloomy-looking forms of Kaminari, Mina, and Sero following right behind him. At least they weren't dragged here like they were.

"Find a seat and sit in silence until Lunch."

Everyone grumbled a very unenthusiastic "Yes sir," before he turned on his heel and left them to their own devices. Kaminari tried to whisper something about the state of his desk in Kyo's ear, but the orange-haired teen just laughed it off. Refusing to say what happened to it. Immediately getting roped into the rest of the squad's conversation.

Bakugou watched him intently as he joked happily with his idiot friends. Kyo was an enigma. Bakugou had essentially pissed him off enough that he revealed information that could endanger his life if the wrong people had overheard and then asked if they were on good terms. Kyo then mingled with his new classmates like they had been friends their whole fucking lives. In no way, should their exchange have ended this way. But here they were like everything was A-OK.

The future hero had to admit that he did feel a little better knowing Kyo wasn't some heartless killer like the other villains he had encountered. Still, Bakugou would have to do some in-depth soul searching about what made a villain before he was 100% comfortable with Kyo and his comrades. Something told him it was going to be a long semester.

* * *

**_Finally got this chapter done. Hopefully it won't take as long to post updates as this chapter took. I have most of the story already outlined. I'm really excited about it and hope you enjoy the ride._**


	4. Welcome To Class 1A

**_Kirishima P. O. V._**

The steady sound of rain pattered rhythmically against the dorm windows, as the well-behaved students of Class-A enjoyed an unexpected half-day comfortably within the warmth of the common room. Their afternoon classes had been canceled due to the chaos that ensued that morning. The troublemakers weren't so lucky. Angry with them all, Aizawa had instructed them to clear out all the rubble that had been created during Bakugou and Kyo's fight for the remainder of the day, despite the dreadful weather. Whatever they didn't manage to dispose of would be saved for the next day and so forth until it was cleared up enough for Cementoss to level out the area.

While Kaminari and Sero were stuck using wheelbarrows and shovels, Bakugou and Kyo decided to clear the area with their quirks. Subduing their destructive powers, so they didn't accidentally create more work for them to do. After watching them for a bit, Mina decided to use her quirk as well. Her acid even better suited for the task than the destructive duo's. At their current pace, they should be done cleaning up the mess that day but would be completely drenched by the time they made it back to the dorms.

Kirishima was currently enjoying a cup of hot chocolate with Tohru, Uraraka, Midoriya, Tsubasa, Iida, and Shinsou at one of the tables in the lounge. All of them, content to chat happily with one another and get acquainted with the new students of their class. There was a delicious smell in the air from Sato baking something in the kitchen. Thanks to him, the dorm had always been filled with an assortment of baked goods from the kind-hearted student. Kirishima couldn't be happier with his classmates. His quiet personality in his younger years had made it hard for him to make friends, besides Mina, before attending UA. Kirishima was proud to say that there wasn't a single student that he didn't get along with now ...Well, except for Mineta.

He and Tohru had become fast friends. Already seeing her as the sister he never had. Mina didn't count because she had declared herself the _ "fun Aunt," _to everyone within the squad. Kirishima just couldn't help gushing over how adorable Tohru was, especially when flustered by everyone's attention.

Uraraka sat on the kunoichi's other side, she was also a big Tohru fan and was constantly asking her to use her quirk to turn her and people around the table into different animal forms. Tohru's eyes sparkled with renewed self-confidence with each successful transformation and the resulting fit of giggles and laughter from the table. At the moment, Uraraka had pointed dog ears, Midoriya had bunny ears, and Shinsou was a cat. Kirishima was still in his cat form from earlier, and Iida had respectfully declined altogether, still feeling self-conscious about his current appearance. Momo had kindly made him some hair dye earlier that should match his natural color, but the vice president didn't have a chance to try it out yet.

"Do you know where you're going to be staying yet?" Kirishima asked the group. Taking this opportunity to add some more whipped cream to his drink.

"We're not sure yet," Tsubasa answered before taking another sip of his hot chocolate. He was sitting on a stool instead of a chair with a back, to better accommodate his broad wings. It seemed he preferred to have them out since he had yet to sheathe them since unveiling them that morning. Kirishima had to stop himself from staring on multiple occasions. He was relieved that the rest of the class was having just as much trouble as him. They were just so dazzling, especially in natural light.

"Aizawa-sensei said he would have it figured out by the end of the day, but that was before…" He didn't have to finish his sentence. Everyone knew what he meant.

Kirishima sighed. Bakugou sure knew how to rope everyone up with his impulses.

"We're probably going to move into some of the empty rooms in the dorms," Shinsou theorized, downing his makeshift mocha. Maybe the reason he couldn't ever sleep was that he drank coffee in the afternoon. "I know Aizawa was already in the process of getting me moved into the dorms before these guys were hired."

"Are there enough rooms for that?" Uraraka asked, her head cocked to one side in confusion. "There's plenty of unoccupied rooms on the girls' side of the dorms, but aren't there only a few open on the guys' side?"

"Maybe Kaminari's fear of some students being shifted out is true?" Iida proposed, his hands chopping the air in front of him. "Though Aizawa-sensei has been known to use irresponsible ruses before. I never thought he would actually expel some of us someday."

"I don't think he would kick people out of the Hero Course for students only staying a semester," Midoriya mused half to himself.

"Midoriya's right. The twins will probably end up sharing a room," Shinsou agreed.

"That's not very fair. It's not like they're little kids or something. They shouldn't be forced to share because they're twins," Kirishima argued for his new friends. Shinsou only shrugged.

"I don't think that's going to work," the winged student admitted. His feathers ruffled behind him awkwardly in a completely endearing gesture. "We're kind of in the middle of an argument right now. I don't think having us in the same room would be good for anyone considering how explosive my brother could be."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like a good thing. I bet that would be like Deku and Bakugou sharing a room," Uraraka summarized with a laugh.

Everyone but the shinobi paled at the thought.

Shinsou hastily pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I should give Aizawa a heads up in case that was his intention."

The redhead glanced at the clock. There was still another hour of detention left. With the speed in which they were moving earlier, they should be finishing up any minute now.

_Good. Maybe Bakugou could squeeze a nap in before it got dark._

For some reason, the explosive teen seemed to sleep more comfortably in the presence of others. Maybe his body refused to embarrass himself in front of people? Whatever the reason, that was why the infamous Bakusquad sleepovers suddenly doubled in number over the last few weeks. Kirishima was worried about Bakugou. His nightmares were only getting worse. It's a miracle that no one else had figured it out, with how frequently he accidentally set his quirk off in his sleep.

Kirishima frowned into his hot chocolate. It wasn't that he just felt worried about his best friend, but he also felt guilty about the whole situation. 

_He only started having nightmares again because I started having nightmares as well, _he thought sadly to himself. Choosing to forget that it was because of him that Bakugou's night-terrors stopped in the first place.

The tail the redhead forgot he still had, began to droop with his self-deprecating thoughts. The near-death experience he had a couple weeks ago only cemented what he already thought of his abilities as a hero. Kirishima was terrified that he would break again when others were depending on him. He was lucky that he had the support of his mentor Fat Gum before, but what if he was alone next time?

Or worse, Kirishima was afraid that he could end up hurting someone with his quirk. A fear he had carried with him ever since his quirk manifested itself, injuring himself and leaving a permanent reminder on his face. The redhead lost count of how many times he accidentally injured Bakugou during one of his night terrors, and Kirishima suspected there's even more that he didn't know about with how stealthy the ash-blonde could be. Kiri was thankful that Bakugou wasn't in the room when he destroyed his bed a couple of weeks ago. Kirishima would never be able to forgive himself if he did something like that to his best friend.

Maybe that's why Kirishima felt so drawn to the girl sitting next to him. Feeling a sort of kinship with her since she also struggled to control her quirk. Though her struggles were rooted in her self-consciousness and not in fear of hurting others. How could it? She was the sweetest person he had ever met. Kirishima wished he could be more like her. She didn't have to worry about hurting anyone. About cutting people or herself with her powers.

Kirishima didn't realize that he had been lost in a cycle of self-criticism until Tohru got his attention. She subtly brushed his side with her cat tail. His scarlet eyes were met with caring sapphire ones before she offered him one of those smiles that rivaled the very sun. The kind of smile that his friends always talked about. He had never seen one before, and it took his breath away.

_My friends actually think that I'm capable of that? _The sentiment almost moved him to manly tears.

The redhead's matching cat ears twitched suddenly. Reacting to the abrupt ding of the elevator opening across the room. The excited squeals that wafted from it after the doors opened stole Kirishima's attention, causing him and Tohru to turn their heads in the direction of the commotion. There he saw Momo, Tsu, and the floating clothes of Hagakure stepping out of the elevators.

"Oh, come on, you have to admit they're super cute!"

"I don't have to admit anything of the sort," Momo responded responsibly, but there's a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Meanwhile, Tsu had a finger held to her chin as if the thought had never occurred to her. Taking this opportunity to think it over for herself.

"You two are hopeless! I need Mina here to gossip with!" the invisible girl huffed, waving her arms frantically. The movement would have gone unnoticed if it weren't for the excessive amount of colorful bracelets on her wrists that jingled with every move. "Well, if you all don't want to admit it, that's fine with me. That just means I get first dibs on one of the twins."

Kirishima cringed at that awkwardness of the situation. That declaration was wrong on so many levels. First, it was dumb to assume that you can call dibs on a person as if they didn't have wills or feelings of their own. Second, it was painfully awkward for everyone listening to ignore the fact that Hagakure had recently ended a long relationship with Ojirou just the week before. The popular rumor floating around was that she got dumped because she was too clingy. And thirdly, because both Ojiou and Tsubasa were easily within earshot. However, both seemed to be preoccupied in their own conversations to have heard her statement.

"I don't think it's very appropriate to discuss such matters openly," Momo rebuked quietly, trying to cut the conversation short before further drama could start. The Vice President quickened her pace. Hoping to herd the girls with her out of earshot of the rest of the class. Momo looked to Tsu for help, but she was still thinking over Hagakure's previous statement.

True to character, when the green-haired girl did speak up, she said whatever was on her mind. "Which one of the twins do you like the most?" Tsu asked innocently, completely oblivious that she was adding more fuel to the fire. Momo looked like she wanted to facepalm, but her prodigious upbringing prevented her from doing so.

"Kyo obviously. Who better to help me stand out than an exciting, fiery personality!" she let out another excited squeal, which caught a few other people's attention.

"Aren't relationships supposed to be about feelings and compatibility?" Tsu asked.

"Maybe normal people have that luxury, but you have to admit that for Pro-Heroes, they're more about the give and take," Hagakure pointed out, so matter of fact. It was hard to call her out when what she said was true. They've all seen how many Pro-Heroes enter relationships and even marry one another to strengthen their Hero Agencies and gain popularity. To think that they had to think like that when they weren't even out of high school was a tough pill to swallow. It made Kirishima wonder what his future with Bakugou would be like. If he had any at all.

Tohru also looked incredibly uncomfortable about the conversation. The twins were her teammates, after all. She had grown up with them and had even lived with them for years. Being forced to listen to someone she doesn't know, talk about them like they were objects was probably incredibly difficult for her to do. Kirishima offered her a reassuring smile with his fluffy scarlet tail waving happily behind him. That seemed to do the trick, for she immediately brightened up in response.

A loud bang made everyone jump as the front doors slammed open. The wind had ripped the door from the now sopping wet forms of Kaminari, Sero, and Mina as they entered the building. They immediately collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion, almost tripping Bakugou and Kyo, who followed closely behind them. Escorting them was the mostly dry form of Aizawa with an umbrella and his new adoptive daughter Eri.

"Watch where you're going losers!" Bakugou snapped.

"Us? You're the one who nearly stepped on us," Kaminari groaned, too exhausted to even lift his head from where he currently laid on the floor.

"Shut up!" Bakugou yelled, crossing his arms.

"Take your own advice," Kyo muttered, shaking his hair and body dry like a dog, spraying everyone around him with even more water. The trio on the floor groaned in response while Bakugou just growled in disdain. Kyo, however, remained oblivious, finishing with a smile on his face, which highlighted his sharp canines. His vibrant orange locks were disheveled by the act.

"Ah, much better," he practically purred while resting an arm on Tohru's shoulder, who had come to greet him.

Aizawa watched the exchange with little interest. "You should all get changed and get some rest. Catching a cold will not get you out of class tomorrow," the underground hero warned. By this time, most of the class had gathered around them. He looked over at the newcomers.

"I was only able to get Shinsou and Eri's rooms ready, thanks to this morning's disruptions. So, for now, you'll have to find somebody to bunk with until I'm able to get them ready for you," Aizawa informed with a disapproving glare aimed directly at Kyo. A look that would put any sane person in their place, but of course, the shinobi only grinned like a Cheshire cat in response. _ '_

_This guy's got a death wish, _Kirishima thought in bewilderment. _Even Bakugou's not stubborn enough to provoke a teacher!_

Aizawa's eye twitched in annoyance. "On second thought. It might be in everyone's best interest to minimize damages by having the two ticking time bombs in the same room."

"What?!" Bakugou yelled, his hands sparkling dangerously in anger. "Why do I have to get stuck with this psycho?!" He demanded, pointing a rude finger at the shinobi in question, who also didn't look thrilled about the idea, but remained quiet.

_Perhaps Kyo did have self-preservation instincts after all._

"Have you looked in the mirror?" Sero muttered under his breath, followed closely by a few snickers from the rest of the squad. It was quickly silenced by a swift kick to the ribs and a pained grunt.

"You don't get a say, Bakugou," Aizawa yawned, choosing to ignore Bakugou's rough behavior toward his classmates. "The school has already spent an exorbitant amount of money reinforcing the walls to your room. Not to mention the intricate sprinkler and fire extinguisher system we had to get specially designed for you," their teacher further explained in his no-nonsense tone.

The hero's mind was already made up, but to further drive the point across, Aizawa continued, "Unless you want a repeat of the fire alarm incident?"

Bakugou immediately shuts up. His crimson eyes averted their gaze in defeat. The slightest traces of red coloring his face, the only hint that he was embarrassed, or as close to embarrassed that Bakugou could get.

_Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that. _

Kirishima thought back to a couple of weeks before his internship. What started as a prank war, quickly escalated into _Apocalypse Now, _when Kaminari tried to play a prank on Bakugou. The electric dummy had snuck into the other blondes room, a GoPro fastened securely to their _"Idiot Helmet," _while Bakugou slept and shocked him with his quirk.

As one could probably imagine, the explosive hero was less than amused. Beliving it was a villain attack, Bakugou exploded, attacking on instinct. Thankfully, Bakugou realized it was Kaminari and managed not to hit the idiot in the face with one of his biggest explosions. The bad news was that he ended up blowing a hole in the floor, and they both crashed into Iida's room below.

The sudden plummet caused Kaminari to accidentally set off his quirk in fear as they fell, which resulted in a large electrical fire. Successfully shorting out most of the dorm's electrical system in the span of a few seconds. Thankfully, their class president was busy dealing with a noise complaint on the second floor at the time of the incident. Inadvertently, saved from being crushed by Darkshadow's habit of listening to loud music in the middle of the night.

The resulting flames immediately caught Iida's vast book collection on fire, which of course, blocked their escape routes. Thinking fast and probably as payback, Bakugou created a new opening by breaking into Kaminari's adjacent room with yet another explosion. By this time, the fire alarm was blaring, and everyone was scrambling to get outside. Checking on their neighbors as they went. Kirishima's cheeks felt hot with embarrassment as he recalled how Shoji had to literally drag him away from Bakugou's burning dorm room. The terrifying experience adding to his already long list of recurring nightmares.

In the end, no one was seriously injured. Only a few burns here and there. The worst part of the experience was that they had to wait outside in the freezing cold in nothing, but their Pj's as the dorms were put out. While it only took about an hour to put out the fire, the fire alarm continued to blare, **_ALL. NIGHT. LONG. _**An unfortunate side-effect of Kaminari frying the electrical system.

Needless to say, no one got any sleep that night. Because of this incident, dorm rooms and the building itself had to be tailored to every student's quirks. An aggravatingly long process, with lots of bunking with other classmates as all their rooms were customized for everyone's safety. It wasn't their friend group's proudest moment, but it did give the Bakusquad's social media page their first viral video. Though the relevance of that feat was different depending on who you asked.

For the record, Kirishima thought the footage was pretty manly.

Aizawa coughed to get everyone's attention. "Along with these four, Eri will also be moving into the dorms now that there is no one to watch her at home. So, everyone better be on their best behavior," he explained, looking down at the shy little girl hiding slightly behind him.

She brightened up when she saw Midoriya, Uraraka, Tsu, and Kirishima. Recognizing them from the mission to save her. She waved happily at each of them.

"Yaoyorozu, could you please get her settled in the dorms? She will be moving into the room next to yours. Shinsou will be staying in the remaining boys' dorm on that floor as well. I'm counting on both of you to help her with anything she needs."

"Of course, Sensei!" Momo agreed happily. Her onyx eyes sparkled joyfully with being trusted with such an important task.

To the rest of the class, Aizawa added, "I'm sure you all will make an effort to make her feel at home here."

The class let out an excited cheer in response, everyone but Bakugou, who took this opportunity to sneak away to an isolated corner of the room. The friendly faces of Midoriya and Uraraka already making their way to greet her. She smiled happily at them. Letting go of her hold on Aizawa's leg and reached up to be picked up by the freckled face boy. Giggling as she went. Aizawa hid the smile threatening to show on his face behind his capture weapon. Once Aizawa was sure she was in good hands, he made his way to his office.

"Hello, Eri!" Kirishima greeted them once she joined them at their table. He held a plate adorning an assortment of homemade cookies up to her from where she currently sat on top of Midoriya's shoulders. Taking her attention away from playing with the fluffy bunny ears on top of his head.

After studying them for a couple of seconds, she settled on an adorably decorated rabbit cookie, which made Midoriya turn an impressive shade of red. Her scarlet eyes twinkled with more life than Kirishima had ever seen her express before.

"Are you excited about living here with everyone?" he asked gently.

Eri blushed cutely at the attention, fighting the urge to hide her face behind Midoriya's head. She smiled shyly at him, warming his heart in the process. "Yes…" she answered quietly. Her sweet voice barely over a whisper. Kirishima was content to leave it at that, knowing how shy Eri could be but was surprised when she continued with, "I'm really happy to be here with everyone. I want to make as many friends as I can." Her adorable little face brightened a little more after her last sentence.

The manliest of tears poured down his face after hearing that. It took all his will power not to give her the biggest bear hug of her life right then and there. Managing to stop himself after realizing such a sudden act would be sure to traumatize the poor girl more than she already was. So instead, he opted to give her a thumbs up while he continued to cry at the pureness of her sweet self. A few others close by were also overwhelmed by the cuteness of their newest dormmate.

"Would you like matching bunny ears?~" Tohru asked gently in her usual sing-song voice. Her sapphire eyes sparkled with a loving warmth. The brown cat ears on top of her head twitched cutely as they awaited the little girl's answer.

Eri immediately nodded her head. "Please?" her sweet little voice begged. The barest traces of excitement echoing in her voice.

The brunette giggled in response. Tohru softly clapped her hands together before bringing her hands close to Eri's face. Tohru made sure not to make any sudden movements and not to physically touch her. Mindful of her personal space. Kirishima wasn't sure if Tohru had been briefed on Eri's situation beforehand or if she was able to sense Eri's timidness from the short encounter she had with her.

The redhead didn't think Eri could get any cuter, but seeing her with large fluffy bunny ears on top of her and the resulting smile she sported after seeing her reflection was the cutest thing he had ever seen.

"Thank you!" she squeaked, the loudness of her voice scarring her a little before she erupted in a fit of giggles. She immediately skipped over to show her new brother, who was already busy documenting it on his phone.

"Thank you for that Honda-san," Midoriya thanked, taking a seat at the table. His emerald eyes were watching the little girl fondly. "You made her first night here an exciting experience."

"I'm happy to help~" Tohru assured with a smile. "And there's no need to be so formal. Because of the twins, we have always used our first names. So please call me Tohru~."

"Oh, that reminds me!" Uraraka cut in. Copying Iida's choppy hand motions to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. "Tohru, would you like to stay in my room?" Uraraka asked happily. Her puppy tail was wagging at the speed of light. Threatening to hit anyone who got to close.

"No way! She's got to bunk with me!" Mina declared from across the room as she jumped to her feet. Her previous fatigue apparently forgotten. She grabbed Tohru's hands in hers. "Please, Tohru! I haven't had a chance to hang out with you at all today!" She finished with a pout that even tugged at Kirishima's heartstrings.

The brunette was immediately overwhelmed. Her head frantically looking from Uraraka to Mina and back again. "How about I sleep in Mina's room first and then Uraraka's room second?" Tohru offered anxiously. Trying her best to accommodate everyone. "Does that sound fair?

The two girls looked at each other for a few moments, before looking back at Tohru. "Deal!" they both cheered, wrapping Tohru in the cutest group hug. Both comically pushing Kyo-who was still using Tohru as an armrest-roughly out of the way to do so. Ignoring his aggravated protests.

"Is that even necessary? Aren't there like a bunch of empty girl rooms?" Sero asked. Ever the voice of reason.

"Shh, don't ruin this for us," was all Mina said in response. Pushing him away from them with one hand as well.

"Hey! Who stole a tray of my cupcakes!" a yell sounded from the kitchen. A few seconds later, an aggravated Satou came through the doorway with a tray in each hand.

All eyes looked to Mina, who only shrugged. "Don't look at me. I haven't been here long enough for that."

He let out an angry sigh, still not convinced, but let it go. "Well, whoever did it ruined my surprise," Satou grumbled as he sets the remaining cupcakes on the table in front of them. Each was brightly decorated in the UA colors in his famous buttercream frosting. "I made these for everyone to welcome our new classmates."

Everyone immediately brightened. "Welcome to class 1A!" everyone cheered in unison as if they had been planning it for months. The newcomer's eyes widened in surprise at the genuinely kind gesture. Even Shinsou looked touched by it.

**_Bakugou P. O. V._**

While everyone else was celebrating, Bakugou had made himself comfy in the corner seat of the couch. His arms crossed behind his head. Hoping to doze off for a little while before he was forced to share a room with that quirk copycat. He was dreading sharing a room, knowing he wouldn't be able to have Kirishima over. That was shitty in itself, but he also had to worry about the whole nightmare thing as well.

_Fuck everything about my life right now. _

He just needed a few minutes of peace. Bakugou already knew that he wouldn't be able to enjoy his solitude for long. It was only a matter of time before one of his annoying classmates attempted to wake him up to join in on the _"fun." _

He guessed that was something he could respect about Kyo. The shinobi seemed to know when to leave Bakugou alone. After their heated discussion earlier, the explosive shinobi had backed off, giving the ash-blonde the space he needed to collect his thoughts. Turning his attention on toying with Kaminari and Sero instead.

Bakugou cracked an eye open to scan his surroundings. Sure enough, he quickly found a mop of bright orange hair within the crowd of mostly neutral colors of their class. The shinobi was currently chatting happily with his female teammate and the idiot brigade. They've seen to have made themselves comfortable within his small group of friends. Not the worst thing he supposed.

The ash-blonde closed his eyes once more. He didn't need anyone to catch him awake.

The Bakugou managed to doze off for a while before the cushion he was sitting on shifted underneath him, announcing someone's presence. The movement stirred Bakugou from his slumber, but he kept his eyes closed. Hoping to dissuade the person from bothering him.

"You can stop pretending, it's only me," came Kirishima's hushed voice. Bakugou doesn't react. "I sent everyone to get us some dinner from the cafeteria. I told them to get you something that would melt a normal person's face off."

"That's still not going to be spicy enough," Bakugou complained with his eyes closed. However, the corners of his mouth slowly raised into a small smile. Kirishima lets out a laugh. Knowing that while it was a joke, it was also incredibly accurate. Bakugou's smile widened at the sound.

The ash-blonde slowly blinked his eyes open. It took a few moments for them to adjust to the light. Just as Kirishima said, the majority of the common room was empty. The only stragglers being Koda and Tokoyami studying quietly together in the corner.

The blonde let out a yawn as he stretched. "How long have I been asleep?"

"A little over an hour," Kirishima answered cheerfully. The cat ears he had earlier no longer on top of his head. Bakugou nodded, settling back into the couch. That was more of a nap than he had hoped to get. He doubted he was going to get much sleep that night. As if reading his mind Kirishima continued. "Mina wants to have a sleepover tonight with everyone. We were gonna start after everyone ate."

"Maybe we should just make every night a sleepover until the Carrottop is out of my room," Bakugou retorted, stifling a yawn. Not the worst idea since sleepovers were the only way that seemed to keep his nightmares at bay. Though there was no viable excuse to do so that the squad would believe. Not without confessing about his nightmares to everyone. "I should make that copycat sleep on the patio."

Kirishima frowned at that. "I could say it would help with my nightmares?" The redhead offered. He laid back into the couch, his shoulder brushing Bakugou's ever so slightly. They tried to keep intimate touching to a minimum when they weren't in their rooms. Even this was pushing it for Bakugou, but he couldn't deny that the contact felt nice in this situation.

The explosive hero let out a frustrated sigh. "No, it's fine. I'll figure it out somehow." Bakugou took this opportunity to roll his stiffening shoulders. "So, what did I miss today?"

Kirishima smiled his famous shark-toothed grin. He excitedly began to recount the day's events. Everything from his fight with Tohru to the encounters that happened while Bakugou slept. Both happy just being in each other's company after a long chaotic day.

"I think you'd really like Tohru. I bet you'd enjoy sparring with her."

"It could be interesting," Bakugou admitted. After hearing more about how her quirk worked, it could definitely have some unique fighting capabilities that would be entertaining to fight against. "Though if all it took was to make her lose focus. Defeating her should be fairly easy."

Shitty-Hair pouted at that. "Your wrong. She just wasn't used to fighting while a bunch of people were watching. She'll be amazing next time around. You'll see!" Kirishima defended valiantly.

"Whatever."

"Well, what about you?" Shitty-Hair began, another shark-toothed grin spreading across his face. "What do you think of the shinobi? You seemed to enjoy your fight with Kyo earlier."

"They're alright, I guess," Bakugou muttered, looking away. There was no use denying that he'd already taken a liking to them, despite wanting to hate their guts. Especially since Kirishima had always been able to read him like a friggin book. Bakugou _did _enjoy his fight earlier. He didn't even mind that he was forced to clean for the rest of the day to make up for it. Bakugou was absolutely pissed that the fight had ended in a tie. He'd _ never _**_ever, _**tied in anything before. The hero was itching for a rematch. Bakugou still struggled with their chosen career path, but personality-wise, they didn't seem so bad.

"They're preferable to half of our annoying class, at least," Bakugou smirked.

"Is that any way to treat the people who got food for you?" a voice called from across the room. Both boys turn to see a group of their classmates returning with multiple trays of food balanced precariously between them. Mina and Sero holding two trays each, while Kaminari used his free hand to eat a green popsicle like his life depended on it. The trio and a few classmates were trailing leisurely behind them.

"What's Pikachu's problem?" Bakugou asked boredly, completely ignoring Sero's question.

Mina let out a laugh at her friend's expense. "He thought he could handle a bite of your curry," she explained, waving the tray in her right hand. The smell drifting from the plate was enough to confirm to Bakugou that it was just spicy enough to be palatable by his standards but would kill an average person. His stomach rumbled in response. He hadn't had a chance to eat anything since the apple he had for breakfast.

Bakugou rolled his eyes at them. "I guess that means you idiots forgot to grab some hot sauce as well?" Bakugou muttered, reaching for the tray. Only to have Kaminari grab it from Mina before Bakugou was able to grab it.

"You're so ungrateful!" Kaminari complained, his words difficult to understand with the popsicle still in his mouth. He gave the frozen treat another loud slurp before awkwardly pulling it from his mouth. His tongue comically swelled up from his near-death experience earlier. "I almost died from your devilish meal, and that's all you're worried about?"

"Are you really that surprised?" Sero asked, giving his friend a condescending pat on the shoulder. "I'm pretty sure Bakugou could eat Hell Fire, and he would still complain that it wasn't hot enough."

"Damn straight. Now give me my food."

"What are you a heathen?" Kyo joked playfully, as he came to rest an arm on Kaminari's shoulders. In his hand was a half-eaten popsicle that matched his bright hair perfectly. His eyes were sparkling with its usual deviousness. "Why can't you eat at the table like a normal person?"

"Fuck you! I do what I want," Bakugou retorted, jumping to his feet. His eyes were daring Kyo to challenge him again on the matter. He was eager to pick up where they left off that morning. His hands were already beginning to sweat more in preparation for a fight. "You got a problem with that, CarrotTop?"

One of the shinobi's eyes twitched angrily at the comment. Bakugou smirked when he realized he discovered one of Kyo's pet peeves. "Maybe I do," Kyo retorted, standing up straight. Aggressively handing over the remainder of his popsicle to Mina. The temperature in the room started to rise as Kyo prepared to activate his detonation quirk. "What are you going to do about it?"

While the explosive boys measured each other up like an old western movie. Ready to act the second, the other made a move. Onlookers slowly started backing away to avoid getting caught up in their fight. Though before they could even begin, a cry stole their attention, causing them to stop in their tracks.

"Oh no, Eri, your ice cream is melting!" Bakugou's eyes drifted toward the sound to see Ribbons gently take the dripping ice cream cone from the little rugrat. She quickly cleaned up the mess and wrapped it with a couple napkins, before returning it to the mildly distressed girl.

By the time Bakugou looked back to his opponent, Kyo had already relaxed his stance. His quirk switched off, and the room's temperature was returning to normal. Noticing Bakugou's baffled expression, the shinobi simply shrugged.

"Rain check?" he proposed in a bored tone. Suddenly losing interest in their fight. He didn't even wait for Bakugou's response before walking away to retrieve his orange creamsicle from Horns. Enjoying his frozen treat as he apologized to Eri, who now saw at one of the tables with slightly strawberry covered fingers.

Everyone watching was sure that Kyo was going to suddenly burst into flames from the deadly glare their explosive classmate was giving him, but alas nothing happened. Nervously, the rest of the class followed Kyo's example and began eating their dinners. Shooting Bakugou nervous glances every now and then as they ate.

Bakugou fumed as he stubbornly continued to stand where he was. Staying there for a couple more minutes before reluctantly giving in. With a loud curse, Bakugou followed after his sorry excuse for friends. Dropping heavily in the seat between Kirishima and Sero. Stabbing his food _extra_ aggressively as he ate.

_Stupid fucking quirk copycat motherfucking Shinobi, _the blonde cursed in his head, imagining the curry was Kyo's stupid face. Bakugou continued to shoot Kyo with murderous looks as he ate. The only thing stopping him from climbing over the table to blow that smug look off the shinobi's face was Kirishima's hardened hand on his knee holding him in place.

_Lucky bastard._

Kyo looked like he wanted to comment on Bakugou's overly aggressive eating habits, but held his tongue for once. It appeared that the copper-haired idiot was finally running out of steam. His eyes steadily began to droop as time passed. Ribbons seemed to be monitoring his behavior closely. Whispering in his ear when she caught him nodding off. Though the shinobi would only laugh it off. He would then whisper something back to her, give her a reassuring nudge, and then start a conversation with someone at the table. It was almost like they were…

_Oh, _was all Bakugou could bring himself to think as he watched the scene unfold before him.

_That's unexpected._

**_Tsubasa P. O. V._**

All the common room tables had to be pushed together to accommodate the entire class for dinner. According to Midoriya, the whole class had never eaten all together like this before. Usually, they preferred to eat in their own friend groups. It seemed everyone was eager to learn more about their mysterious new classmates. Attention the winged shinobi wasn't sure they needed.

The newcomers were forced to sit at the center of the table. Sitting on Tsubasa's immediate left was the bubbly girl, Uraraka. She had quickly become friends with Tohru, but also made an effort to be friendly with him as well. Sitting across the table from her was Kyo and Tohru, who were sandwiched between Kaminari and Mina respectively. To the wind users right was Midoriya, who had served as their guide for most of the day. Shinsou had been with them earlier but had excused himself to put little Eri to bed. Promising to join them all for the class sleepover in a couple of hours.

Tsubasa was overall, relieved to have been accepted into the class so readily, with the only minor hiccup in their plans-_so far_-being his brother's impulsive behavior. Though, all the dream-walker wanted was to find a comfortable place to sleep. He was exhausted. And he wasn't the only one.

The brunette risked another glance at his brother. While Kyo continued to grin, and make small talk with everyone, it was clear to Tsubasa that he was ready to drop at any second. Not only was he still recovering from his injuries from their last mission, but he had also recklessly picked a fight with one of the class's strongest fighters. Then foolishly pushed his body even further by continuously blowing up the rubble in the pouring rain for hours on end.

_As usual, my brother's recklessness knows no bounds. _

There was no point in scolding him. Kyo refused to speak with him since waking up from his accident.

Mostly Tsubasa forced himself to stay awake to monitor the conversations his teammates had with the class. Jumping in to answer for them whenever someone asked about their background or past to minimize potential slip-ups.

For shinobi, Kyo and Tohru were terrible at keeping secrets, especially with people they got along with. They could withstand the most extensive torture imaginable and wouldn't say a peep, but will tell their friends anything with the littlest amount of prodding. It baffled Tsubasa to no end.

"The Hitsuzen twins, huh? That means _"inevitable," _right?" asked the girl with pink skin and horns beside Tohru. She was chewing thoughtfully on a purple pixie stick, with an excessive number of plastic wrappers littering her food tray. "That's such a mysterious name!" she cooed, clapping her hands together. The gold flecks in her eyes sparkled, giving the illusion that they were glowing.

"Very ominous indeed," The dark avian student agreed farther down the table. The comment made the shinobi nervous, but the rest of the class didn't pay it much mind.

"Is it that strange of a name?" Tsubasa asked, his voice wavering ever so slightly. He willed his wings to lie entirely still against his back. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the subtle movement of his brother's body stiffen in his seat as well. "No one's ever commented on it before," he lied behind a kind smile.

"Not at all!" Uraraka defended beside him suddenly. Startling him slightly from the abruptness of her words. She noticed his reaction and continued at a reasonable volume. "I don't think it's strange at all. In fact, I think it would make a great hero name!"

"Are you an idiot? They're not trying to be heroes," Bakugou cut-in absently, still stabbing violently at his food as he ate.

"Don't mind, Bakugou," she whispered in Tsubasa's ear. "He's just grumpy because it's past his bedtime."

"Uraraka, he'll hear you!" Midoriya shushed on the other side of the shinobi. His face was sweating profusely as he looked nervously at the ash-blonde a few seats down from them. The explosive teen in question didn't appear to have heard her remark, for he was now muttering something to the redhead beside him.

Tsubasa smiled in relief as the conversation started drifting to other topics. Most chatted excitedly with one another about the new classes they'll be taking part in starting tomorrow. He listened to their conversations thoughtfully, redirecting the conversation to safer topics when he deemed it necessary. Often exploiting Midoriya's love for knowledge against him.

Aizawa had entrusted Tsubasa specifically to do damage control. Mainly by distracting Midoriya and his close-knit friend group from the truth of their mission, since they had a habit of getting into trouble. A task made incredibly easy since the freckled boy sought him out immediately.

Despite the headaches of the morning. Tsubasa's enjoyed his time learning about this new world. The power system here was impressive. It was different than any of the worlds they had visited before. According to Aizawa, this world still didn't have a clear explanation of why people suddenly started developing these _"Quirks."_ It fascinated Tsubasa tremendously. That's why he humored Midoriya's long-winded ramblings. The winged teen had been guilty of similar behavior regarding subjects that interested in him. Though he hoped he wasn't as over the top as the freckled boy sitting beside him. However, if Tohru's giggling were any indication, he probably was.

Midoriya had allowed him to look through his hero notebooks when Tsubasa expressed an interest in them. Though the cover and edges were burned, the insides were surprisingly in great condition. While Tsubasa flipped through it, he saw everyone one of his classmates as well as numerous people he had never seen before, within its pages. Each one had a full-body illustration in what he assumed were everyone's hero costumes. The artwork was passable, but clearly not his forte. Where it really shined were his notes and explanations. Midoriya had everyone's stats listed as well as battles each student had been in during the school year. Midoriya also had listed of battles that had yet to pass and predictions of who would win.

It was incredibly well written and organized. The more Tsubasa read it, the more he began to see the similarities between Midoriya and himself. It reminded Tsubasa of the book he and his brother collaborated on to document the many worlds they had visited. Tsubasa would write the history, and Kyo would illustrate it for him.

_Guess that makes Bakugou, Midoriya's version of Kyo, _Tsubasa realized with a frown. Noticing that the green-haired boy snuck just as many looks at the explosive blond that Tsubasa did for his hotheaded brother.

The information provided in Midoriya's notebooks were almost on par with the info Aizawa had provided them. Tsubasa was very impressed with the boy's awareness of his surroundings. He now understood why Tsubasa was tasked with keeping an eye on him. Someone, this highly attuned with the world around him, could easily stumble onto their secret if left unchecked.

_It shouldn't be too hard to keep him busy._

Someone tapped on his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the familiar form of Shinsou standing above him. His indigo eyes looked as tired as ever despite the cup of coffee in his hands.

"Aizawa wants to go over tomorrow's lesson with the three of you," Shinsou yawned, pointing a thumb behind him toward the teacher's office down the hall.

"Thank you, Shinsou," Tsubasa replied, carefully standing up. Stretching his arms and wings as he did so. Giving his wings a couple of slow test flaps before allowing them to rest once again against his back. Words couldn't express how thrilled he was about being in a world where he could display his wings openly. Regularly having to hide their existence from everyone was stressful. A task that was incredibly difficult to do, considering they immediately came out when he used his foresight or dream-walking abilities. "We'll be right there."

The screeching of chairs a few feet away alerted him that Kyo and Tohru were also getting out of their seats. The three of them wrapped up their conversations before heading to Aizawa's office. Assuring everyone that they would hurry back for the class sleepover in the lounge.

**_Kyo P. O. V._**

It was surprisingly dark in the underground hero's office. Three gaudy looking lamps were placed haphazardly around the space, but judging from the thick layer of dust covering each, they had never been switched on. The only light came from the monitor on his desk. The bluish light cast long overdramatized shadows on the few possessions in the room. If the computer remained untouched for a few minutes, the screen would display photos of Aizawa's students holding up signs that recounted the shameful behavior they had been caught exhibiting at one point or another.

The signs read statements like, _"I broke my body again."_ _"I threatened a group of kids and made them cry," _and _"I broke a priceless hero artifact at the museum."_ There was even a photo of All Might with a sign that read, "I allowed two students to engage in a reckless battle outside of class." The teacher seemed to enjoy embarrassing his students. It was only when Tohru tripped over a box in the darkness that he finally turned one of the lamps on.

Kyo had been expecting a lecture for his behavior earlier, but the hero remained silent on the matter. Instead, Aizawa leaned casually against his desk and started explaining the series of Hero and Quirkless exercises they would be teaching that week. Taking a moment every now and then to take a sip from his juice box. His scarf and goggles rested beside the photo on his desk of Aizawa, Shinsou, and Eri.

The volatile teen tried his hardest to pay attention to Aizawa's explanation, but the words were muffled in his aching head. His whole body hurt, having reached his limit hours ago. Sometimes he hated his competitive nature. He should've listened to his brother and taken it easy, considering his body was still healing. But naturally, because it was Tsubasa who had suggested it, Kyo had stupidly done the opposite.

_ Maybe ignoring the advice from someone who could see into the future wasn't the best idea, _Kyo thought miserably. He was so thankful that Tohru managed to stop him from fighting Bakugou again that evening. He would have died. No doubt about it.

It wasn't just his injuries that had him feeling like crap. The shinobi was overheating from not triggering his detonation powers, resulting in a fever that left him feeling muggy. Something he could quickly remedy with a cat nap, but he had been enjoying himself too much to do that earlier.

Apparently, Kyo not only felt like crap, but he also looked like it as well. Aizawa immediately took notice that something wasn't right with him. The shinobi tried to play it off, but the hero was not having it. After some questionable interrogation techniques, Kyo finally caved and admitted that he was hurting after pushing his body too hard. The hero's expression softened ever so slightly with this information.

That's how Kyo ended up here.

Half slumped in a chair-shirtless-while Tohru healed his wounds with her medical ninjutsu in the privacy of the office. A pair of orange cat ears lying flat against his head to make him heal up faster. Aizawa had been relieved when he learned about Tohru's healing abilities. He wanted to avoid their contact with Recovery Girl if they could help it since they weren't sure how her quirk would mingle with their advanced healing capabilities and other-worldly bodies.

Tohru's hand was basked in dazzling blue light as she hovered it a few inches from his body. The injuries underneath slowly healing as she went. The underground hero seemed mesmerized by her medical ninjutsu. While he started off talking mostly to Tsubasa, as time passed, his eyes would linger on them as she worked.

_Understandable. If our mission goes south, at least we can use this power to save as many lives as we can._

Kyo watched his teammate work in comfortable silence. The injuries he sustained that morning were healed up without a trace. Though not all his wounds could be healed so cleanly. After she finished healing his fresher wounds, the brunette had moved on to treat his previous injuries. Though there was little more, she could do for them at this point, besides taking some of the aches away.

Kyo inspected the faint pierce scars that littered his arms. The scars appeared star-shaped in nature. Something easily missed if they didn't catch the light the right way. However, they became more pronounced as they traveled up his arms, past his shoulders, until they eventually stopped just short of his heart. As far as scars go, they healed rather nicely, but still fairly obvious. It had helped that Tohru was right there when it happened; otherwise, he would have died from blood loss. Despite this, no amount of medical ninjutsu would ever be able to erase them from existence. No matter how much Tohru wished, it would.

He could see her unshed tears welling up in her sapphire eyes, but she willed them not to fall. Kyo smiled gently at her and rested his forehead against hers to make her feel better. The comforting gesture caught her off guard, causing her to pause for a moment. Her eyes slowly looked up to meet his.

There were so many swirling emotions swimming in their depths, Kyo wasn't sure which one was the most dominant. _Was it sadness, relief, fear, or guilt?' _He couldn't tell. These conflicting emotions soon melted away until nothing but happiness and affection remained. A blinding smile on her face. One as bright as the two-sun sunset, they saw a few worlds back. The brilliance was tarnished slightly, knowing that the other emotions still persisted somewhere deep inside her.

The volatile teen could feel Aizawa's gaze on him. Maybe if he had more energy, he would have made a joke about it, but even the thought of laughing almost made him sick. Instead, Kyo's tired crimson eyes followed the teacher's gaze, which was focused on the scars on his chest. The teacher regarded them with a difficult to read expression.

If someone were to guess the cause, they would assume that someone stabbed him repeatedly and was fought off before reaching his heart. They, of course, would be_ wrong._ The injuries were not inflicted by being stabbed, but instead by being pierced repeatedly from the inside. That, and they did not stop before his heart, well at least not before Tsubasa rewound time to save him before the final blow was made. Rewinding time, of course, did not save him from the rest of his injuries, which he still almost succumbed to thanks to his pierced lungs.

"There. You're all done Kyo!~" Tohru chimed in her adorable sing-song voice, snapping him from his thoughts. Her hands were just finishing wrapping the bandages on his chest while leaving his arms bare.

"Mvto! Tohru!" Kyo thanked in his mother's tongue, a bright smile on his face. Tohru never failed to make him feel better. He reached for the black shirt next to him and quickly pulled it over his head. It was almost time for the class sleepover, and Kyo was ready to finally get some sleep.

"Hold it," Aizawa instructed, blocking the way to the door with his body. A sense of dread washed over Kyo as he stared at their new teacher. Aizawa's eyes were fixed on the scars still visible on his arms. "You think I'm going to see those wounds and not ask anything about it?"

Kyo scratched the back of his head in annoyance. "I was kinda hoping you wouldn't," he answered truthfully.

Aizawa was unimpressed by this answer. His emotionless eyes continued to bore into him. Kyo looked to his brother for help, but he looked just as uncomfortable.

"It's a long story," the twins answered finally answered in unison.

"Then summarize it," Aizawa stated simply, crossing his arms impatiently.

* * *

**_I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I was procrastinating because I didn't feel like writing a filler chapter. Next chapter shouldn't take as long. In the next chapter we'll start to see what sort of classes the shinobi will be teaching. I hope you're enjoying the story so far! I have a lot of plans for these characters. I hope you stick around to see what's to come._**


	5. From Shinobi to Hero

_**Just a quick announcement, I've noticed more people have read this chapter than the previous chapter. I think this is because these chapters were published a few days from each other. If you don't recall the class welcoming the new students to the dorms I would recommend going back a chapter. I wouldn't want you to miss put on any of the cute moments as these kids get to know one another. **_

* * *

**_Kirishima P. O. V. _**

The summer air was warm and humid, which made his crimson locks fall in front of his eyes as they stuck to his forehead. He constantly had to brush them out of his way, but the sturdy hero continued to trudge on. Ignoring the pain of the straps of his large camping backpack digging into his shoulders. Despite his discomfort, he didn't dare ask for a break to readjust them. There simply wasn't time. They were racing the setting sun, desperately trying to reach the summit before nightfall. Though for what, the redhead had no idea.

The ash-blonde had surprised him one Saturday morning with an impromptu camping trip. The explosive hero had packed enough supplies for both of them and secured permission from Aizawa and his parents but failed to inform the redhead of his plans. Kirishima only found out when Bakugou had entered his room early that morning and started dragging him out of bed. Ignoring all the sleepy complaints and practically dressed Kirishima as he mumbled incoherent questions about the rude awakening. Before he knew it, he was packed into a car with Bakugou and his dad, with a Honey and Oats granola bar placed in his mouth like a pacifier.

With something in his stomach, Kirishima finally started to feel himself come back to life. Bakugou finally explained that he was taking him to one of his favorite hiking spots. "You said you wanted to come along the next time I went," the ash-blonde remarked, turning away from him, from where he sat beside him in the back seat. The tips of his ears turning a light shade of pink.

That made Kirishima smile. "Thanks, man! But you could have let me know ahead of time."

"It was a last-minute thing," Bakugou lied, sinking deeper into his seat. His ears turning redder.

Kirishima suppressed a chuckle. 

_Yeah, sure it was._

The redhead noticed that Mr. Bakugou was also trying not to laugh at how obvious his son was being. Man, Kirishima sure loved the Bakugou's.

The mountain they would be camping on was a two-hour drive away from campus. The car ride was quiet but peaceful. Bakugou ended up taking a nap for most of it, while Kirishima passed the time looking out the window and striking a conversation with Mr. Bakugou now and then.

Kirishima already knew that Bakugou had gotten interested in hiking because of his dad. The two of them had made numerous hiking and mountain-climbing trips together over the years. They had climbed every mountain in Japan at least once and every trail twice, so it came as a surprise when it was revealed that Mr. Bakugou wouldn't be joining them. Unfortunately, he had an important work trip he couldn't miss during their annual camping trip. Only able to give them a ride there and back since it was already on his way.

So the two boys loaded the heavy camping packs onto their shoulders and hiked up Nozomi Mountain by themselves. The mountain wasn't the tallest in Japan by any means, but it was the Bakugou family's favorite. It had trails for everyone, from beginners like Bakugou's mom Mitsuki; to hazardous rocking climbing trails for those with tons of experience like Bakugou himself. Whatever path you took, it was stunning due to the small about of foot traffic it received. Most people didn't even know about it because you had to walk through an unmarked forest before the trails even started.

As they hiked one of the middle-grade trails for Kirishima's benefit, Bakugou shared that this was the first mountain he had ever climbed. When his father asked if he wanted to go camping when he was four, Bakugou said he only wanted to go if they climbed the tallest mountain in Japan. Knowing he wouldn't be able to handle a trip like that at that age, his father had tricked him and said that it was. While Bakugou figured out the truth once he got back home, he never enjoyed any other camping trip than the ones on that mountain. So the hothead forgave his father for deceiving him. After that, any time they needed to get away from the world around them, the family would pack into their car and head here. Even his mother, who hated the outdoors, would join in on occasion. Though she would bitch the whole time.

Kirishima listened to his friend in respectful silence. It was the most he'd ever heard Bakugou talk about anything besides how much he hated Deku. He never realized how significant these outings were to him. The redhead felt incredibly honored to be invited to tag along to one of his family's favorite traditions. Despite the ache in his shoulders or the damp hair smacking him in the face with every step, Kirishima continued to smile the whole way up the mountain. With each step and every childhood memory shared, he felt like he was becoming closer to the supposed Beast of Class 1-A.

After six hours of hiking, they finally reached the summit. "We made it!" Kirishima yelled, throwing his arms into the air in victory. However, the action threw him off balance, and he quickly fell over backward from the weight of the camping pack still attached to his back. Landing with an _"Oof!" _as he laid there comically like a turtle stuck on his back.

"Stop messing around, Shitty-Hair!" Bakugou scolded harshly, though he offered him a helping hand up. Kirishima took it gratefully. Apologizing with a chuckle as he did so. "Whatever, we still have a shit ton of stuff to do while we still have some light."

That was true. The sun had just started to set. Painting the sky, a breathtaking display of oranges and pinks as it enveloped the wispy clouds in the distance. Everything from the forest to the lake at the base of the mountain and the connecting waterfall was enveloped in beautiful orangish gold light. The view was breathtaking. Kirishima wanted nothing more than to stare at this scene before him forever.

A sudden_ click_ brought him back to reality. His scarlet eyes moved towards the sound only to get distracted by the equally dazzling new scene in front of him. Bakugou stood before him, his hair looking golden in the brilliant light. The sight took Kirishima's breath away. The explosive hero's expression looked surprisingly soft for a second, before turning incredibly annoyed.

"Didn't you hear me? We got stuff to do!" Bakugou yelled, breaking the spell.

"R-Right!" Kirishima stammered with a blush. Immediately grabbing two random pieces of their tent in a futile attempt to connect them, even though they didn't go together. The blonde watched him for a second before rolling his eyes. Roughly yanking one of the pieces from him and gently handing him the correct part. The redhead nodded his thanks before clumsily getting back to work.

By the time they finished setting up camp, the sun had just finished setting. The last traces of orange and pink faded to shades of purple and light blues, and even they were slowly paling in brilliance. Bakugou had brought an assortment of ingredients to make campfire kabobs for dinner, somehow managing to bring different types of meat to roast since he knew that was Kirishima's favorite. However, after constructing a few kabobs, Bakugou started making them for the redhead when he just loaded his with beef.

"No, you're not pulling that shit like the rest of those idiots. You have to eat a fucking vegetable!"

"Alright. Alright!" Kirishima laughed, his hands raised in surrender. "So, are you finally going to tell me why you dragged me up here?"

"I already told you. My family comes here every year, but they're all busy this time," Bakugou answered nonchalantly. He leaned back and twisted his lean body to grab one of his camping packs. He unzipped it and started rummaging through its contents. "Besides, I wasn't about to sit in a light-polluted city during one of the biggest meteor showers of the decade," Bakugou remarked, pulling a telescope from his backpack with a determined smirk on his face.

Kirishima practically jumped to his feet. "Dude! Are you serious!" the redhead exclaimed, his voice full of childlike excitement. His scarlet eyes scanned the still darkening sky. The first couple of stars starting to become visible. "I've never seen one of those before! Meteors are so manly!"

"They are?" Bakugou asked, taken aback by the sudden excitement.

"Of course! They killed all the dinosaurs after all!"

"Yeah…"

"Oh man, this is so awesome! You're the best Bakugou!" Kirishima cheered, sitting beside his friend. Their shoulders brushing against each other due to the limited space on the log they sat on.

"Yeah… whatever," Bakugou huffed, looking away.

It took another 30 minutes for it to be dark enough to see the stars clearly. At that time, Bakugou expertly set up his telescope and his DSLR cameras. He had promised his dad that he would take photos of the meteor shower for him since he couldn't make it. Kirishima teased him for being a softy, but the blonde retorted that he only did it for the new camera lens he scored out of the deal. Kirishima didn't realize the blonde was such a photography nerd. He was learning so much about his friend on this trip.

Kirishima thought the sunset earlier was the most marvelous thing he had ever seen, but the starry sky above him was even more stunning. The different shades of purple, pink, green, and blue leftover from the sunset swirled and mixed in a mesmerizing display across the steadily darkening sky to create an aurora light effect above them. The dark veiled sky decorated with millions of brilliant silver twinkling lights. Kirishima had never seen so many stars. The redhead had lived in the city all his life and had only ever gone camping during their summer training camp. Though there were no stars to see thanks to the smoky overcast that night.

The shark-toothed teen just stared in awe at the beautiful scene in front of him. Bakugou sat beside him, occasionally snapping a photo of the sky with his camera set up on a tripod a few feet away, with the remote in his hands. His other camera was rigged to the telescope beside them. The redhead had attempted to ask his classmate questions about how he was able to take photos in the dark, but then Bakugou started talking about the technicalities of cameras and photography. The explanations confusing him even further.

_Something about long-shutters? Or taking Speed? ISO? In search of what?_

The sturdy hero could practically smell his brain smoking as it short-circuited.

"You're missing it," Bakugou scolded suddenly, nudging Kirishima's shoulder with his to break him out of his trance.

The ash-blonde pointed his face toward the sky. Kirishima's eyes followed his gaze and immediately lit up with childlike wonder as he saw the first meteors flying across the sky. His famous shark-toothed grin spreading across his face.

Kirishima wasn't sure how long he stared up at the sky before a voice broke into his thoughts.

"Hey, Kirishima."

The redhead barely had time to glance at his friend before he heard the familiar _click_ of a camera shutter going off. He blinked his eyes cutely a couple of times before his eyes settled on the camera in Bakugou's hands. Most of the ash-blonde's face was covered by the camera. Though Bakugou's satisfied grin was hard to miss, even in the darkness. The camera no longer hooked up to the telescope beside them.

The Ball-of-Sunshine's cheeks felt warm with embarrassment. "Hey, no fair, Bakugou!" Kirishima protested, pointing at the camera.

Another _click._

The redhead blushed even harder. "Hey! Stop!" Kirishima protested again, trying to grab the camera. Only for Bakugou to hold it above his head, out of Kirishima's reach.

"What's the matter?" Bakugou teased, a playful smirk on his face. He was always so childish when it was just the two of them. "You camera shy or something?"

"I'm not," Kirishima pouted. "I just don't think it's fair that you can take photos of me, and I can't take photos of you."

"So, you want to take my photo?" Bakugou asked smugly. Trying to embarrass the redhead even further.

"Well, yeah," Kiri answered matter of fact. Not sure why Bakugou thought that admitting it would be embarrassing. It's not like anyone else was here. Even if there were, he doubted it would make him embarrassed to admit it. It was manly to acknowledge your feelings, after all. "You're my favorite person, after all. I want lots of pictures of and with you."

Bakugou's plan backfired. It was his turn to be embarrassed. He turned his head away to hide the blush on his cheeks. Though it was still barely visible in the dim light.

"You suck at taking photos," the ash-blonde finally mumbled under his breath. His face still facing another direction. Kirishima had to suppress the giggle that threatened to escape his lips at his adorable little Tsundere. "So how about I put one camera on a timer so it can take multiple photos of us as we stargaze?"

Kirishima's eyes brightened. "Sounds good!" Kirishima cheered, grabbing onto one of his arms. The act almost causing Bakugou to drop his $5,000 camera. "Whoops," Kirishima chuckled nervously. Ignoring the death glare, Bakugou sent his way.

They spent the rest of the night watching the meteor shower. The camera they set up continued to take a photo of them every ten minutes until it ran out of battery. Kirishima enjoyed getting a closer look at the meteors through the telescope but enjoyed it more when he could see the whole sky. That and he enjoyed sneaking glances at Bakugou, who split his time watching with him and taking photos of the shower. It was refreshing to see the hothead looking so calm and focused on something with silent intensity.

Bakugou showed him a few photos he was especially proud of, and they made Kirishima's jaw drop. They were both staring at the same sky, but Bakugou's photos highlighted the most beautiful parts of it. There wasn't anything Bakugou couldn't do. After much convincing, he finally allowed Kirishima to take a few photos himself, though only after triple-checking to make sure the strap was wrapped around him correctly. Kirishima thought his pictures turned out alright, but after Bakugou gave him a few tips, they looked drastically better.

"Did you make a wish?" Bakugou asked as the last meteors crossed the sky. Referencing how the Mountain was locally known as _"Wish Mountain."_ His arms were crossed behind his head as he laid on top of his sleeping bag. Their entirely constructed tent a mere 6 feet away, completely forgotten.

Kirishima laid against him. His crimson hair tickling Bakugou's face. "Hmmm... I wish we could stay like this forever," he stated truthfully. A sleepy smile on his face.

"You're so corny," Bakugou snorted, but there was a small smile on his face.

This made Kirishima grin even more. "Yeah, I know," he replied sleepily. "What did you wish for?"

Bakugou was silent for a moment. He shifted into a sitting position, ignoring Kirishima's sleepy protests. Without warning, Bakugou leaned over and kissed him. Kirishima was frozen in place for a second but then leaned into it. A few more moments passed before they parted.

_"This,"_ he stated simply, an awkward smile gracing his perfect features.

"Now, whose corny?" Kirishima giggled.

"Shut up," Bakugou yawned, settling into a more comfortable position. "Get some sleep, Kiri."

"G'night Bakugou," Kirishima mumbled. Snuggling back into Bakugou's side, before drifting comfortably to sleep next to the person he loved.

"Hey, Shitty-Hair," a voice whispered impatiently in Kirishima's ear. His body rocked from side to side as someone shook his shoulder. The motion was gentle at first but steadily became rougher when the redhead didn't respond.

Kirishima groaned pitifully. Instinctively rolling over in a feeble attempt to ward off the annoying force trying to wake him up for school. He heard an impatient huff to his left before he felt the warm, comforting blankets around him getting ripped from his grasp. His sleepy groans instantly morphed into agitated growls at the rude intruder for interrupting his peaceful dreams.

The Ball-of-Sunshine had never been much of a morning person. His close friends often described him as a hangry demon first thing in the morning. Many of which, had been an unfortunate victim to his sharp teeth after they carelessly tried to wake him.

The aggravating presence, however, was not impressed by his sudden change in demeanor. Instead of backing down, they roughly grabbed hold of his face and shoved something into his mouth. Kirishima was startled for a moment before a comforting smell calmed him down enough to absentmindedly start chewing.

"Mmm… Honey and Oats," Kirishima mumbled around the granola bar in his mouth. The treat quickly disappearing with each satisfying _crunch_, while his right hand carelessly rubbed the sleep from his eyes. A childhood habit that never went away, even after injuring himself at the tender age of four.

"You're always such a mess in the mornings," a familiar voice complained above him. "You're gonna end up taking someone's finger one of these days. And I swear, if you bite my hand again,_ I will destroy you._"

"That was one time," Kirishima groaned, finally awake enough to blink the sunlight from his scarlet eyes. After a few seconds, they finally adjusted to sunlight that filtered through the common room's blinds. Standing above him was none other than Bakugou. Kirishima couldn't help but notice that he looked well rested for once. The ash-blonde raised an eyebrow when he caught Kirishima staring at him. The redhead quickly averted his gaze in embarrassment. Instead, focusing on the sleeping forms of their classmates. All of which were still sprawled about the common room from their sleepover the night before. "And Recovery Girl stitched you up just fine."

Bakugou was not amused.

"Maybe, but having to explain to Aizawa that I was late for class because I had to get fucking _stitches _because you nearly ripped a chunk out of my hand was completely fucked up, Kiri," the ash-blonde muttered. He threw another granola bar at him. "I still have a fucking scar from it for fuck's sake!. You're so lucky he was the one who ordered me to wake you up. Otherwise, I would've gotten detention."

Kirishima grinned. "See. It all worked out in the end."

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "Yeah. You're right," he agreed sarcastically. "It's not like we've ever had to go to Recovery Girl for any _other _embarrassing reasons."

Kirishima blushed hard. Bakugou would never dare say it aloud with the sleeping bodies of their classmates littered around the room. But he was definitely referencing the time when Kirishima had accidentally bit Bakugou's tongue during one of their first makeout sessions. They had played it off as a training accident, but Bakugou continued to hold that incident over him.

"I said I was sorry," the redhead groaned. "Give it a rest already."

"Never."

This time, Kirishima rolled his eyes.

Glancing around, it appeared that most of the class was still sound asleep on the various couches. Most cuddled with their friends on the floor under a mess of blankets. Seemed only Momo and Koda were missing, the latter probably upstairs feeding his rabbit before school. Iida was snoring across the room, no doubt exhausted after trying to babysit their rowdy class.

Their class was famous among the school for throwing over the top sleepovers and game nights. Their hijinks were a fun topic, even among the other departments. Unfortunately, that was because some of their hijinks escaped the safety of their class dorm. Like the time Kaminari and Sero tried to tight-walk the distance between the Class-A and Class-B dorms on Sero's tape. As one would expect, the tape broke halfway across. The dark-haired boy managed to grab Kaminari before he died, and luckily TetsuTetsu had enough time to activate his quirk before he crashed to the ground. That stunt made the school paper.

So no one was surprised when the small sleepover with the squad, plus the trio was soon derailed to a class sleepover in the common room. The Bakusquad had dragged the shinobi up to the fourth floor to have a sleepover in Bakugou's room, despite the ash-blonde's many protests. But as soon as they opened the door to his room to reveal the forgotten charred feathery aftermath from that morning, they collectively decided to hold it on the first floor instead. The terrifying look Bakugou shot him will forever be burned into Kirishima's memory.

It was for the best that they had the sleepover downstairs. The whole class wanted to make sure the newcomer's first night in the dorms was a positive experience. They had a Disney movie marathon, played board games, and ate junk food until they all thought they would puke. It was a blast. Even little Eri miraculously joined in on the fun halfway through the night. Having successfully sneaked past Aizawa's room and pleaded with her big brother with the best puppy dog eyes Kirishima had ever seen. The goth boy was putty in her hands, and no one could blame him. Well, maybe Aizawa, when he inevitably found out.

The trio seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. Though at one point, Kyo panicked when he felt something wrap around his arm and immediately flipped the invisible Hagakure onto the ground. She squealed loudly but luckily wasn't injured, aside from her feelings. Kyo let her go instantly, then angrily told her to get lost by throwing a pillow at her-which she dodged-only for it to hit Bakugou in the back of the head. And that started the biggest pillow fight in Class-A history.

Kirishima smiled happily when he saw Tohru and Mina cuddled together to his right. Beside them was Uraraka and Tsu with little Eri nestled between them. A cute black cat held limply in her grasp. They looked absolutely adorable. He scanned the living room for the twins, but they were nowhere to be seen. 

_Weird._

"They were already gone when I woke up," Bakugou grumbled, guessing what his friend was thinking. He took a bite of his granola bar before continuing, "Ponytail woke up a little after I did. She woke up RockFace before she left."

"That's weird. I thought for sure the twins would still be asleep," the redhead mused. Remembering how the twins had basically dropped dead after the pillow fight. It never crossed his mind if twins fell asleep at the same time, but he got his answer to that question regardless. Sero and Shinsou had barely caught them before they both face planted on the floor. The class tucked them in on one of the couches in the corner and continued being rowdy for another couple hours before Iida finally made them all go to sleep. The twins hadn't so much as twitched the entire night.

"They have Homeroom with us, right? Do they even know where to go?"

"Don't know. Don't care," Bakugou replied with a shrug. "All I know is I'm going out for a run. You coming or what?"

Kirishima felt energized after eating, and the first good night's sleep he had in a long while. "Of course!" the redhead beamed, taking the hand Bakugou held out for him. Though his tone wavered at the end when the ash-blonde pretended to drop him back on his ass. "That's not funny," he pouted, but Bakugou only smirked back at him. Sometimes Kirishima hated that dumb, beautiful face of his.

It didn't take them long to get ready for their run. Bakugou had retrieved a change of clothes for both of them before waking him. After a quick trip to the locker rooms to change, they were ready to go. Deciding to take their usual route, which consisted of running around the entire length of the gated campus and three laps across the track when they passed it.

As they ran at a fast, but manageable pace; Bakugou quizzed the shark-toothed teen on school topics. If Kirishima got three questions right in a row, he was allowed to bore Bakugou with a dumb stunt the squad did or was planning to do soon. The redhead must have improved because he was talking explosive teen's ear off.

"So Kaminari said, _'hold my chocolate milk,' _and headed straight for Todoroki with his hand covered in electricity. And then-"

"Shitty-Hair," Bakugou groaned, slowing to a stop. His hand catching the redhead's face to prevent him from pulling ahead of him.

Kirishima pried the hand from his face. "Hey, I was in the middle of a story!" he protested between pants. "I _earned_ that story."

"Except I was there for that!" Bakugou panted angrily. His eye twitching in annoyance. "Dunceface wanted to know if Icyhot would let off his Ice or Fire quirk if he was zapped in his sleep. And the answer was _neither_. The bastard kicked Pikachu so hard he was knocked unconscious for two fucking hours."

"Huh, I guess you were there for that," the Ball-of-Sunshine chuckled. Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment."Then why didn't you stop him?"

"Sometimes, you just have to let Darwinism run its course."

"Harsh."

A flash of orange caught Kirishima's attention further up the trail. "Hey, aren't those the twins?" Kirishima asked, shielding his eyes from the sun to get a better look at the two forms ahead of them.

Bakugou followed his gaze. "_Tsk,_ I guess we figured out where they've been this whole time," he muttered. His crimson eyes narrowed in an emotion Kirishima couldn't quite place. "Come on. We have to go that way to get back to the dorms anyway."

"R-right," Kirishima agreed hesitantly, falling into step with his friend.

The two shinobi didn't notice them as they approached. It wasn't like the heroes were hiding their presence in any way, but as they approached, it became clear they were too busy arguing to pay much attention to their environment.

"Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday? You should be taking it easy," Tsubasa cautioned, his voice a little bitter. Nothing like the polite, friendly way he spoke the day before. He walked a couple of feet behind his brother, trying to get his attention. His brilliant wings sheathed at the moment. He reached a hand out toward his brother.

"I'm fine," Kyo answered curtly. Shrugging off the hand, his brother tried to place on him. His pace quickened slightly as a result. "If you're waiting for me to thank you. You can forget it. I didn't need to be saved like this."

Kirishima wanted to find another route back to the dorms. It sounded like these two needed to work something out with one another. The last thing they needed was for two strangers to barge in and ruin everything for them. The redhead nudged his friend's shoulder in an attempt to steer him down the side path.

Bakugou had other plans. Much to Kirishima's horror, the explosive hero then proceeded to violently kick a rock in his path. The stone skidded across the ground before it crashed into a nearby metal trashcan with a deafening **_BANG! _**The unexpected sound caused the twins to jump, which earned an angry hiss from Kyo when his crimson eyes locked onto them.

_"Tsk _serves you right for blocking our way," Bakugou muttered, shouldering his way between them.

Kirishima followed closely behind him. "U-uh sorry about him," the redhead apologized for his friend. Bowing respectfully to each of them in turn as he did so. "He's a little cranky in the morning."

"Kirishima!" the explosive teen called angrily from a distance away.

"I know!" Kirishima called back. Breaking into a run to catch up with Bakugou. He looked over his shoulder and flashed one last smile to the bickering brothers. "We'll see you later!"

**_Aizawa P. O. V. _ **

The underground hero was reaching the end of his patience with the troublesome shinobi known as Kyo. Before the bell had even rung, he had seen Kyo twirling a kunai in his hands while he walked through the halls. Either he didn't notice the concerned looks the other students gave him, or he didn't give a fuck. Either was equally plausible. Eraser Head was going to get a lecture from Nezu if this behavior continued.

"Kyo, did I see you with a weapon earlier?" Aizawa questioned impatiently when Kyo approached the classroom with his teammates in tow.

"That would be against school policy, right?" the copper-haired teen stated innocently, without answering the question.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. He was too tired for this. "Just get inside," he ordered, shoving him roughly inside the classroom. Away from curious eyes.

Due to the four new additions to his class, Aizawa added a new desk to each of the four existing rows. He had initially planned to sit the newcomers in the back row but seeing how the explosive shinobi was proving to be a hazard to everyone around him. Aizawa took this opportunity to switch Kyo's intended seat behind Sato with Shoji, who was in dire need of a new place as well. The poor boy blocked the view of the peers behind him no matter how low the kind student slouched in his chair. This way, Aizawa could keep an ever-watchful eye on Kyo in the front row. The rest of the newcomers were easy to find seats for. Shinsou was seated behind Uraraka, and Tsubasa was seated behind Todoroki, which provided him with ample room to accommodate his broad wings. Tohru was seated behind Momo. Keeping her out of Mineta's line of sight to avoid incidents like the day before.

"Now that we've gotten that taken care of," Aizawa began when everyone was settled in their seats, "I know you're all eager to start your next phase of training in your Heroics and Quirkless classes. You'll have ample opportunities to prove yourselves later. For the next hour, you're all going to be focusing on improving your hero costumes for the colder weather," the underground hero yawned. Ignoring the excited cheer that rang throughout the classroom.

"Awesome new costumes!" Mina cheered.

"This is so exciting!" Hagakure agreed, angling her body towards Jirou.

"Aw man, but I can't draw for crap," Kaminari whined to Kirishima.

"Feel free to examine your costumes or head to the Development Studio to get inspiration. Most of you probably know what you want to add, while the newcomers will have to design their costumes from scratch," he encouraged as he pressed a button on his remote. The walls in the back corner slid away to reveal where their hero costumes were stored when they weren't in use. "You have three days to submit your designs detailing the upgrades to your costumes," he finished, stepping into his sleeping bag. Ready for his daily nap.

Students started breaking into groups as they bounced ideas off of one another. In the back corner, he saw Uraraka, Jirou, and Bakugou grabbing their current costumes, with Kyo trailing behind them with a sketchbook. Meanwhile, Midoriya, Iida, and Shinsou went outside to talk to with support class. He spotted Tohru getting a closer look at Mina and Asui's costumes. To his right, he noticed Tsubasa speaking with Shoji and Yaoyoaruzu. The latter was busy making an assortment of swatches of different materials for him to compare. Content with their initiative, Aizawa closed his eyes. Willing sleep to waft over him for the rest of the class.

"Sensei, do you have a minute?" the copper-haired teen's voice interrupted.

_Of course, _the teacher thought bitterly. "What do you want now?" he grumbled irritably while his eyes stubbornly remained closed.

"Well, I basically know what I'm going to do for my costume already, but I was wondering if I could get a closer look at your capture weapon?" Kyo asked apologetically.

Aizawa cracked a wary eye open to study his face. There wasn't a trace of mischief or ill-intent reflected in his crimson eyes. Simply curiosity. The teen scratched the back of his head nervously under Aizawa's scrutinizing gaze. Eavesdropping behind Kyo was Todoroki and Bakugou. Both of which not bothering to pretend otherwise.

"I won't have time to teach you how to use it," the shaggy-haired man finally answered. He reached inside his desk, instead of removing the scarf around his neck. After rummaging blindly inside for a few moments, he pulled a smaller version of the weapon out. "This was supposed to be for Shinsou, but the length was too long for him."

Kyo's eyes sparkled with child-like wonder. "Thanks a bunch, sensei!" he beamed, reaching for the weapon.

But Aizawa had other plans. He pulled the scarf out of the copper-haired teen's reach. The shinobi's expression dropping a bit. The Eraser Hero then grabbed the metal bin by his desk and held it up for Kyo. "Before I hand this over, please disarm yourself. You can pick your weapons up after class," he proposed, giving the bin a little shake.

Kyo looked torn. He obviously wanted to keep up the gag of hiding weapons on himself but also wanted the chance to see a weapon he'd never seen before up close. Eventually, the teen begrudgingly started filling the crate with his arsenal. The teen relinquished most of his tools without much difficulty, but he hesitated on the last two. His hands gripping the sheathe protectively. Instead of dumping them in the bin with the others, he offered the hilts to Aizawa.

"Will you keep these safe for me?" Kyo asked, gently placing them in his teacher's hands.

The sheath was made from black leather with intricate designs carved into it. Curious, Aizawa unsheathed one of them. Instead of the traditional shape, these mismatched kunai were both three-pronged. Understanding washed over Aizawa as he gazed at them. Recognizing them as Kyo's mothers. The hero carefully sheathed them. He placed it tenderly on top of his desk. In full view of both himself and Kyo when he returned to his seat.

"Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to them," Aizawa reassured kindly, handing over the capture weapon replica he had promised to give. Kyo gave him a respectful bow before heading back to the others. His prize held triumphantly above his head.

Aizawa hid a smile behind his scarf. He didn't want to admit it, but it seemed he was already growing fond of the trio, despite trying to keep his relationship with them strictly professional. Perhaps it was because he had a soft spot for children with painful pasts. The faces of Todoroki, Shinsou, and Eri were a few that came to mind. He couldn't deny that he felt a sort of kinship with the trio. They came from a similar background as him, after all.

The familiar sounds of his students chatting happily helped the Eraser Hero doze off to sleep. His drowsy mind recalled the days he thought he was doomed to become something he didn't want to be. A time before he met a wolf shinobi who taught him that fate was something you decide for yourself.

Many people referred to Aizawa as an underground hero because he didn't like to be in the spotlight. Not much was known about him or his past. Even hero fanboys like Midoriya had trouble figuring out who he was when first meeting him. Only figuring it out when he revealed his goggles and quirk. When questioned, Aizawa would say that he didn't want to be distracted from his work by flashing cameras and pointless interviews. Though that was only one reason.

Eraser Head might have appeared on the hero scene out of nowhere, but the Aizawa name had a proud and terrifying reputation in certain classified circles. Bakugou's explanation of the shinobi's role in society on the first day wasn't wrong by any means. If anything, it gave them too much credit. He would know; it had been a large part of Aizawa's life until the age of 13.

The Aizawa family founded the _"secret" _Shinobi school known as Binoshi. It wasn't an institution he had fabricated to serve as a cover for his other-worldly charges. The Aizawa family was regarded across the country for the prophetic abilities that made them untouchable in battle, though their specialty was in assassination. Once quirks came into the picture, their fame dwindled. The family almost disappeared entirely until the Japanese government approached them with a solution. To serve as the protectors of the country under their command.

The shinobi's sacrifice had always been portrayed as a noble and just cause in the history books, but Aizawa knew the truth. The family did it to protect themselves. The country gave them an ultimatum; _fight_ for Japan or _perish_ like villains. It was a simple as that. So the family did what was required to survive. Selling themselves and their training methods in the process.

Over time, the country's officials took over the program. Stripping it from the Aizawa family's control, leaving them in charge in name alone. These power-hungry individuals changed the program to pump out the strongest living weapons imaginable. Preying on the poorer districts to sell their children to the program for a slim chance to receive the means to continue living. Though only if the child managed to complete their training.

It was a brutal program, to say the least. Binoshi would start training kids as soon as their quirk manifested. Their training consisted of martial arts, weaponry skills, combat simulation, infiltration, quirk strengthening, poison tolerance, torture tactics/endurance, and of course, assassination. About 8% of students died before their 10th birthday. If you survived the grueling years of abuse, you had the opportunity to graduate to become a full-fledged Shinobi at the age of 18. It was completely optional, of course, though you refused at your own risk.

As a descendant of the founding family. Aizawa was a prodigy from the very beginning. A model student, even to his seniors. Everyone believed he would become the heir to Binoshi. There was only one problem. Aizawa didn't want to be a shinobi.

While he looked and acted like the perfect assassin. At his core, he wanted to use his gifts to help people, not kill. He blatantly refused to follow orders that went against his moral code. He couldn't be controlled no matter how many times he was punished for disobeying orders. Truly, a cat in terms of personality. Eventually, the higher-ups left him to his own devices. Assuming he'd come around to their side in time. It wasn't like the young Aizawa heir had anywhere else to go. A truth that constantly played in the back of Aizawa's mind.

Each year, he watched as more and more children continued to fall beside him. With each passing, Aizawa wondered how much time he had left before he too was snuffed out. It seemed that death was the only way out of the hell hole he found himself in. A truth some felt strongly enough to do themselves before the superiors could do it for them. Time was quickly running out.

An opportunity to escape that reality presented itself when his family took a business trip to Musutafu, Japan. The Aizawa family had been summoned to an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister, other governmental officials, and Pro-Heroes alike to discuss the future protection of Japan.

These meetings happened every five years, but it was the first time he had ever been invited to accompany them. Aizawa was there to give a demonstration of his skills to everyone in attendance. Pitted against a Hero-in-training student three years older than him in a mock battle. A political way to highlight the strengths of both programs to the general public in a televised event.

"Is it really alright for me to wail on a kid?" the cocky hero student chuckled nervously. He was easily a foot taller than the scruffy-looking child standing before him. His tone was pretentious as he feigned concern, but a dark excitement reflected in his cold eyes.

Aizawa remained silent. His silence, coupled with his indifferent demeanor, unnerved the boy that loomed over him.

"Fine. Have it your way."

The simulation was a degrading experience for the future hero. He wasn't allowed to strike until he received an order from his superior. An unnecessary ploy to demonstrate that the shinobi Binoshi trained were obedient soldiers who would only attack their targets, even when provoked. Forced to endure hit after hit, until he was finally given the order to neutralize his opponent.

In the blink of an eye, an angry Aizawa sidestepped the hero student's sloppy attack. Expertly disappearing from his enemy's field of vision. The shinobi's eyes flashed an intimidating shade of red as he erased his opponent's quirk. When his opponent was shaken by his quirk failing to activate, Aizawa aimed a careful blow to his leg with his elbow. The boy fell to his knees with a pained shriek. Once kneeling, the raven-haired teen captured his head within an unbreakable headlock. The future hero then viciously mimicked the sickening sound of bones cracking in the student's ear, before pushing the terrified boy away from him. The would-be-hero was so terrified that he pissed himself. The room shocked silent from the terrifying display of skill.

Aizawa frowned down at the traumatized teenager, trembling uncontrollably at his feet. While this punk was an incompetent individual, he couldn't help but envy the lot he received in life. The sorry excuse for a hero was free to pursue a noble line of work, while he was forced to carry on his family's bloodstained legacy.

_Heroes protected. _

_Shinobi killed. _

It was plainly visible, which one was better.

Disgusted with himself, the underground hero ditched the rest of the party. Slipping effortlessly through the dozen or so Pro-Heroes and Prime Minter's _"highly trained"_ guards stationed around the Banquet hall. Relishing in the fresh air as he explored the streets. Thankful for the isolation. Content, taking in the sights of civilians, chatting happily with one another.

Just as fate would have it. He immediately found himself in the middle of a villain attack. The low-level villain taking full advantage of the city's strongest heroes away at the summit to pillage the Tatooine Shopping District. He was a goliath looking beast straight out of a fantasy game. Tearing down and destroying structures with his oversized hands. Causing droves of terrified people to flee the area in a chaotic stampede. All the while crying out for a hero to save the day.

Aizawa, however, was _not_ that hero.

As a shinobi, he was granted Diplomatic Immunity whenever he stepped foot outside of Binoshi. Governmental officials were unable to interfere or prosecute him for any crimes committed as long as he was acting under his official commander. But hehad to be _given _an order to be able to act.

Frustrated, Aizawa continued to stroll through the screaming crowd. Unable to interfere despite having the necessary skills to protect those around him. Occasionally dodging or blocking pieces of debris for people as he went. His fists clenched tightly at his sides as he desperately tried to ignore the panicked civilians around him. That's when he heard a child's scream ring-out above the chaos.

While he was too busy trying to tune out the crowd, he failed to notice that the villain had grown bored of looting and had begun attacking people indiscriminately. With a quick scan of the area, he counted at least five bodies lying on the ground completely motionless. Whether they were unconscious or dead was unclear at his current distance. What was clear was that this giant Goliath looking villain was aiming a massive fist at a child no older than six. She cowered on the sidewalk with a stuffed animal clutched desperately in her grasp.

Before Aizawa even realized it, his body had lunged for the girl without his permission. Barely managing to cradle her protectively against himself and roll away, before a giant fist crashed where they had been. Dust from the attack stung his eyes, making him blink more than he preferred. Nevertheless, he stared intently into the rising dust. Waiting for the villain's next attack.

"It's okay. Everything is going to be alright," the future hero promised absentmindedly to the whimpering bundle in his arms. Small trembling hands clung to him fiercely. The stuffed animal long forgotten. A small smile spread across his face when he felt a slight nod against his chest.

Something clattered abruptly to their right. The sudden sound frightened the girl who started fighting against Aizawa in her panic. Her terrified mind screaming for her to run. He knew it was a misdirection. That the villain was actually approaching from the opposite direction. But the struggling girl in his arms slowed his reaction considerably.

Out of options, Aizawa pushed the girl to safety with all his might before a giant hand ruthlessly slammed into him. Effectively knocking the wind out of him as he was painfully pinned to the ground. His vision swam from the tears threatening to fall from them, though he was relieved to see that the girl-while scraped up- sat a safe distance away. A kind stranger already pulling her to her feet to lead her away.

"Huh? What's this? Looks like we got ourselves a wannabe hero," the giant sneered above him. Crushing Aizawa further into the ground until cracks formed under the weight. The villain clearly enjoyed his victim's pain contorted face. "Tell me, hero, was saving that brat worth it?"

Grimy, murderous fingers wrapped around Aizawa's torso. The hand gave him a hard squeeze before lifting him from the ground. The raven-haired teen immediately attempted to wriggle free, but it was no use. The monster's grip was too tight. It was a struggle to even breathe with how his ribs caved in on themselves.

_Two are definitely broken._

"Knock that off!" The behemoth warned. Emphasizing his point by shaking him hard. The motion practically gave the teen whiplash from the villain's monstrous strength.

"Release him villain!" a voice ordered out of nowhere. Stopping the perpetrator in his tracks. When Aizawa's vision stopped spinning, he saw a dozen or so police officers surrounding them in full body-armor. Their guns aimed at the menacing figure.

_Great. The most useless branch of crime-fighting, _the teen, thought exasperated.

As one would expect, the villain immediately held the teenager out in front of him. Using him as a human shield against the officers. A knife suddenly held at his throat. All the while, Aizawa dangled limply in the monster's grasp. An indifferent expression on his face, though inside he felt humiliated. There he was, a highly trained shinobi totally at the mercy of a low-level villain waiting to be rescued by a team of poorly trained police officers.

_I'm as good as dead,_ Aizawa thought glumly. _That's if I don't die from shame first. _

Aizawa was utterly stuck. Not only could he not pry himself free, but he also wasn't even supposed to be there in the first place. He shouldn't have left the summit, He shouldn't have intervened, even if doing so saved a life and Aizawa most certainly shouldn't have picked a fight with a villain since he wasn't allowed to harm anyone. This whole situation had absolutely nothing to do with him. If, by some miracle, he lived, Aizawa was going to get punished for acting out his own will again. 

_This sucks._

A dark blur swiftly smacked the monster square in the face. Surprising, everyone in attendance. The blow loosened the Villain's hold on Aizawa enough for him to free one of his hands. Taking advantage, the teen pulled a hidden kunai from his belt and stabbed the villain's forearm. He had already been caught breaking the rules, so it made no difference if he continued to break them.

The villain cursed in pain as he lost hold of the brat completely. However, before the future hero could hit the ground, Aizawa was caught by an unknown individual and whisked away from the scene of the crime at lightning speed. Leaving the fugitive and cops questioning what had just happened.

"There, you're safe now," a friendly accented voice promised. Gently putting the antisocial teenager down on a rooftop a safe distance away.

When Aizawa looked up, he saw a woman in her early twenties, smiling down at him. She had long wavy dark brown hair and silvery-blue eyes. On top of her head were mostly silver wolf ears with black patches sprinkled here and there. She had a matching tail that swayed casually behind her.

"Thanks for providing me with an opening. You were amazing!" she praised cheerfully.

Aizawa blushed, looking away from her. Not used to people praising him. Especially when he didn't follow commands. "Why did you whisk me away? Shouldn't we be helping them capture that guy?" he asked in an attempt to change the subject. Talking about himself made him uncomfortable.

She scratched the back of her head uneasily. "You know I would, but I would get in a lot of trouble if I tried," she admitted. Her cheeks turning red.

"What's the problem? You're a hero, right?"

She chuckled nervously.

Aizawa blinked at her. "Wait. So you're not a hero? You don't have a license?" he asked, completely dumbfounded by her stupidity. She nodded sheepishly in response. The competent looking hero he saw a second ago quickly being reduced into that of a scolded child. His charcoal eyes twitched in anger. "That's illegal! And to make matters worse, you just kidnapped a kid! Way to go, idiot!"

"I know," she agreed glumly. Her tail slumping in correlation with her somber mood. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground for a few minutes before raising them to meet his. Her once intimidating silver-blue eyes were now a kind amber brown. "I never understood why this world was so hung up on rules and regulations when it came to helping people in need. If I see someone in need of saving, I'm going to save them. Simple as that."

Aizawa scoffed at that naive answer. "It doesn't matter how you _feel. _That's the law. We all have to abide by them, or everything will be in chaos," the teen scolded coldly. Repeating the words he had always been berated with every time he acted up. Regardless, he couldn't help but feel satisfied with himself for saving that little girl earlier.

"Ha! Your one to talk," she grinned, pointing an intrusive finger in his face. Her grin highlighting her abnormally sharp teeth. Aizawa resisted the urge to step away from her. "You broke the law too. You're carrying a weapon without a permit. And before you make an excuse, you have to be 18 to get one."

That was only partly true. Shinobi were allowed to carry whatever weapons they wanted. He decided to keep that information to himself since the truth was more damning in this situation. So he turned away from her with a huff.

"That's why I grabbed you. This way, we both can stay out of trouble. Not a bad plan, right?" she explained smugly, stepping into his field of vision. A mischievous smile on her face.

Aizawa turned the other way. He refused to praise anything this woman said. Even if that had been his plan had, he found a way to escape.

"My name is Amaya Hitsuzen, by the way," she introduced, crouching in front of him with her hand outstretched.

The future hero studied her hand for a few moments. He wasn't supposed to talk to anyone, let alone give his real name to a stranger. But hey, he'd already broken a dozen rules that evening. What was one more?

"The name's Shota Aizawa," he finally answered, shaking her hand awkwardly.

Her face brightened. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shota."

He rolled his charcoal eyes at her. This woman sure was getting cozy. Already calling him by his first name. "I take it you're some kind of vigilante then? Just the friendly neighborhood wolf girl?"

"What's wrong with that?" Amaya asked, taking a seat on one of the wooden crates on top of the roof. "It might be because of my quirk, but I'd rather live free than be a prisoner to society's standards. Sounds kind of unfulfilling, right?"

Those words struck Aizawa at his core. Freezing him in place.

Amaya didn't notice. "I can't begin to tell you how many people I've seen throw away their lives trying to live up to the expectations placed on them by others. They continue to change themselves regardless if that's what they truly want or not. Giving up on their freedom, their dreams, and their futures in the process."

"That's what I aim to protect by being a so-called '_Vigilante.' _I don't want someone to ever feel like they have to become something they're not, myself included."

"I-I want that too…" Aizawa whispered, his voice cracking. His heart longing to be free of the role that was decided for him. "I want to be free too. I don't want to be a shinobi like my family wants me to be."

It wasn't until he was pulled into the woman's warm embrace that Aizawa realized that he was crying. The experience was completely foreign. He couldn't remember the last time he cried or even if he ever had before. It wasn't something Binoshi tolerated. He wiped awkwardly at the tears that flowed freely from his face, though there didn't appear to be any end in sight.

His silent cries slowly turned into desperate sobs. He found himself clutching her back in dire need of comfort. If their roles were reversed, Aizawa would have pulled back. Instead, she pressed him closer to herself. Amaya guided his face into the crook of her neck, shielding him from the rest of the world. Not that anyone was watching, but the gesture comforted him all the same. Her hand gently stroked his scruffy raven hair until he settled down.

"It's okay. You don't have to be anything you don't want," Amaya cooed softly, gently pulling away from him enough so she could examine his face. Her soft hands lightly brushed the tears from his eyes. The brunette rested her forehead against his in a loving gesture. "So you don't want to be a Shinobi, huh? What _do _you want to be?"

"What I want to be?…"

No one had ever asked Aizawa what he wanted before. The shinobi apprentice never believed it was possible to escape his family's firm hold on him, so he didn't dare dream of a better future. Terrified that any attempt to breathe life into a different life for himself would make it vanish for good. But as he crouched there, Aizawa recalled how fulfilled he felt when he saved that little girl. Knowing that she was alive now because of him. How he envied his opponent earlier that evening and believed he could have done a better job in his place. 

_That's what I want to do, _the teenager realized. _I want to protect people._

"... a hero…" Aizawa finally answered.

The former shinobi began to stir from his slumber. His mind somewhere between dreams and consciousness. It had almost been 20 years since Aizawa had last seen Amaya. He thought he had taken her lessons to heart, but the moment he started to doubt his ability to choose his own fate, her sons crashed into his life to remind him.

_That couldn't have been a coincidence._

**_"There's no such thing as coincidence. There is only Hitsuzen," _**Amaya's haunting voice recalled for him. The phrase, which played off of her surname, had been something the other-worldly shinobi proclaimed often.

The underground hero wasn't lying when he said he hoped that the relationships his students forged with the trio would someday change how the world viewed shinobi. Even though he hated Binoshi with all of his heart. It had always been one of Aizawa's goals to reform the system his family had put in place.

He hoped that the county would come up with a volunteer system to create an army as they did in the states, instead of recruiting children into the program who came from more impoverished families. He felt it was his responsibility as a descendant of the family that continued to send out human weapons; to find a better system for the country's defense. A system that wasn't paved with the corpses of countless children. Hopefully, his students could help change this broken world for the better one day.

"Get out of my face losers!" an annoyed voice yelled, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Aizawa let out an exasperated sigh. It wouldn't be homeroom without someone making a scene. The ever tired hero reluctantly cracked an eye open to see if his presence was needed to break up whatever altercation was about to break out. Fully expecting to see either Bakugou or Kyo in the middle of it with their quirks ready to activate with one misplaced comment. He was surprised to see a group of students crowding around the ill-tempered shinobi with their hero costumes in their hands.

His desk was covered in sheets of paper, colored pencils, and multiple support items belonging to several different students. In his hands was one of Jirou's boots. He was turning it every which way, before setting it down on his desk. The copper-haired brat then began to render a quick sketch of them. When he was satisfied with the result, he held it up to her for her input.

"So, you want me to put the earphone port on the back instead of the side?" Kyo confirmed. When Jirou nodded, he continued, "Alright, if this is going to be for sneak attacks. I would add ports to the back, but also keep the ports on the side. This way, you're not giving away its location when fighting against villains."

"That's a great idea!" the punk rocker replied excitedly, before catching herself.

He smirked at her. "So, you had another weapon idea you wanted me to sketch for you?"

"Hey, no fair! I was next!" The electric-user complained. In his hands was a crudely drawn design that looked to be colored in crayon.

"Psha, no way. You still haven't paid your deposit," Kyo argued. Kicking his feet on top of his desk, with his sketchbook rested against his propped up legs. He threw a Cheeze-it up in the air and caught it in his mouth. "You think I work for free? If you don't offer a treat, y'all can take a seat~" he purred. Utterly proud of himself for his mediocre rhythm.

"You didn't charge Bakugou," the other teen complained, pointing his thumb over his shoulder where the ash-blonde relaxed in his seat. The explosive hero looked up from where he had been busy jotting down additional notes to the Shinobi's sketch.

Bakugou's crimson eyes narrowed into his usual glare, then flipped him off. "That's because I let him take a look at my costume. Even an idiot has to realize how beneficial inspecting a costume tailored to a quirk similar to your is," Bakugou practically spat. He then turned his fiery gaze on the shinobi.

"I think you can agree that I overpaid. This means you owe me one," the ash-blonde declared. Flashing him a psychotic grin.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever, man."

Mina took this opportunity to steal her friend's spot in line. Roughly shoving the blonde out of the way as she did so. "I've got Chocolate Pocky!" she practically screamed, pushing the box in the shinobi's face. Her hand holding another disaster of a sketch drawn in ink from a pink glitter gel pen.

"Thanks for the business, Pinky!" he thanked, snatching the box from her.

"You're after Jirou. Anyone else want to put down a deposit?" Kyo asked with a smug expression plastered on his face as he watched his classmates rifling through their bags in their hurry to be next in line.

Aizawa glanced at the small stack of papers beside him. His curiosity getting the best of him; he picked one up. The first page detailed Kyo's submission for his hero costume. The ex-shinobi was impressed with his drawing skills. The hothead didn't look like the artistic type, but in Aizawa's hands was a beautiful colored sketch of his proposed costume design from various angles. There were even detailed sketches of support items he wanted to incorporate.

He quickly glanced through the other papers, and sure enough, there were similar designs for Tsubasa, Tohru, Kirishima, and Uraraka. All done in the same drawing style. Each one carefully drawn and tailored to the recipient. Written on the sides, were notes that described the preferred size, weight, and material of each item. No wonder everyone was dying to work with him. It was a pleasant surprise.

Aizawa had hoped the teen would settle down as time went on. But honestly, Kyo-or any of the shinobi-wouldn't fit into his class if they didn't have some abnormal, over the top personality. It was just how this class was. Though, it did put his mind at ease that everyone was getting along for the most part. Being accepted by the class would help them all so much in the long run.

The hero's eyes caught a glimpse of the sheathed weapons resting on his desk. Nostalgic, he reached for them. He had examined them briefly before, but his time, he took the time to appreciate the craftsmanship. Carved into the leather were numerous swirling designs that caved in on one another. At its center was the outline of a wolf. A reference to their mother's appearance and her ability to travel worlds. The medium was different, but it was clearly Kyo's art style. In it, you could easily feel the love he felt for his mother.

The sentiment put a smile on Aizawa's face. He wondered if the twins knew exactly how much they took after their mother. Tsubasa looked the most like Amaya, even adopting some of her mannerisms. Meanwhile, Kyo inherited her free-spirited personality and passion. The gentleness and never-ending love Amaya always portrayed lived on in their teammate Tohru.

_That's right, _Aizawa realized, looking over at the gentle-hearted kunoichi near the back of the class. She was currently speaking with Uraraka and Kirishima, all of which sported cat ears at the moment. Because the twins tended to attract a lot of attention to themselves, the kunoichi had a habit of blending into the background.

_Tohru was also raised by the Hitsuzen family after all._

Aizawa continued to watch the trio mingle with Class-A with peaked interest. Tsubasa and Tohru moved from group to group. Slowly building relationships with everyone in the class, building their trust. While Kyo established intimate relationships from his fixed position at his desk. It was subtle, but they were gradually winning over the class.

_Their teamwork was something to behold, _Aizawa mused.

To be expected. They had depended on each other for years on countless worlds. All of them played an essential role within their squad. Tsubasa acted as their guide by finding people in trouble with his premonitions. Kyo served as their transportation and main offensive power. While Tohru shielded them from danger by healing their injuries and concealed their demonic nature.

Aizawa had already been made aware of their less-than-human origins through his time with Amaya. Her quirk was named _"Ookami"_ or _"Wolf demon"_ after all. So when he saw the twin's true forms, he didn't even bat an eye. Hell, it was tame compared to the majority of this world's population. The only aspect that had thrown him off was that they appeared to be less demonic than their mother, even though they possessed a higher blood quantum than her. Aizawa had told them that they could both walk around in either form, and no one would take much notice. They'd both seemed self-conscious about it, no doubt remembering a terrible experience in another world. Eventually, only Tsubasa decided to use his form as his quirk.

That's where Tohru came in.

Because she already possessed incredible transformation abilities that tended to go out of control when she felt emotionally unstable. She served as the perfect camouflage to cover for Kyo's accidental transformations. Something Aizawa had been informed happened when he lost control of his emotions.

The trio was indeed a well-balanced team. Covering each other's weaknesses while urging each other to become stronger. The underground hero looked forward to them teaching his students what being a team actually meant.

**_Bakugou P. O. V. _**

It was about 40 minutes into Homeroom when the class started getting rowdier than Bakugou would have liked. He'd grown used to the class's constant chatter, especially with the annoying muttering nerd seated right behind him. Deku's muttering still aggravated him, but he'd learned to filter it out more or less. Only threatening the freckled boy's life if he heard him muttering about All Might or One For All in public. For the supposed Future Symbol of Peace, the nerd really sucked at keeping his secret. Bakugou wondered how no one else stumbled onto it besides him.

"I'm going to need to add more support to my arms and legs if I want to protect my body from the strain of One For All. The doctors said I need to be especially careful of my ligaments, so maybe adding an extra layer of material that excels in shock absorption to accommodate these areas would be for the best. It would have to be a flexible material, or my movements will be too stiff to be effective in battle. Perhaps All Might has some recommendations-"

"You're doing it again, you damn nerd," Bakugou growled in warning. 

_How the hell did I become Deku and All Might's keeper? _The thought caused small sparks to ignite harmlessly in his palm.

Deku immediately covered his mouth with his scarred hand. "Sorry Kacchan!" he mumbled behind him, before continuing to jot down notes on what he needed for his hero costume for Kyo's rendition. This time leaving details about his quirk and All Might out of his muttered explanation.

The Copycat was partially to blame for the class's annoying behavior. After Kyo pestered Bakugou nonstop to take a closer look at his hero costume, he had rendered a quick sketch for his own costume. After a few moments, the shinobi held it up for Bakugou's approval.

The ash-blonde instantly hated how stunning it looked. He suddenly felt self-conscious about his drawing, and subtly covered it with his hand. "It's alright, I guess," Bakugou lied, trying to downplay the teen's talents. All Might knew that the kid didn't need more of a stroked ego. However, it was too late. Bakugou's uncharacteristic compliment had gotten everyone's attention, and a large group started to gather around them much to Bakugou's annoyment. The class immediately captivated by Kyo's depiction.

"Wow, it's so lifelike," Kirishima praised with a shark-toothed grin.

"No kidding, I've never seen anything like this!"

"Truly a masterpiece, as expected of students invited by UA," Iida praised, chopping the air as usual.

"That's amazing, Kyo. I didn't realize you had an interest in art," Deku marveled. His finger carefully tracing the detailed sketch of one of Kyo's support items.

"It's just a hobby of mine," the copper-haired teen admitted a little self-conscious. He took the sketchbook back from the nerd. The ash-blonde raised an eyebrow at his anxiousness.

_Never would have pegged the hothead as the shy type. _

Tohru smiled beside her teammate. "Kyo's always been talented in drawing and designing. He even forges all our tools for us~" she praised in her sing-song voice.

The explosive teen tried to hide his flushed cheeks by furiously erasing a part of his sketch before continuing, "I had to have another outlet besides blowing everything up. It's not like drawing is that useful or anything."

"I think it could have a lot of uses," Uraraka encouraged, resting a hand on the shinobi's shoulder. "Your so skilled; you could probably charge people for commissions."

"You don't say," Kyo mused. A sly smile spreading across his face.

_That's more like it, _the ash-blonde muttered to himself with an exaggerated eye roll.

Before Bakugou knew it, Kyo had somehow conned the class into paying him for his services. Either with food or a closer look at support items that interested him. Not that Bakugou could blame them for wanting his help. The class was full of aspiring heroes, not artists. Something the Support team complained about often when trying to decipher what they meant by the lackluster drawings they usually sent in.

After observing him work with a couple of the extras, Bakugou could no longer deny that the renderings he provided were impressive. Not only did Kyo draw them wearing their newly altered costumes; he also brainstormed new equipment ideas with the person he was working with. Clearly knowledgeable of mechanics and their battle implications.

The Copycat's competence was the only reason Bakugou took him up on his offer to sketch a design for him. "You can use the privilege of looking at my costume earlier as payment you damn Shinobi," the ash-blonde muttered as he modeled for Kyo with his mask on.

"Whatever ya say, Hero."

Bakugou was more than pleased with the results. The design not only looked awesome but would help him out tremendously during the winter months when his quirk was at its weakest. He spent the rest of the class writing notes for the support team about each aspect of his costume. Though he had to erase the first sentence, Kyo had attempted to write. Appalled when he discovered the copper-haired teen had the worst handwriting he had ever seen-even counting Kaminari. Bakugou didn't understand how an artist could have terrible handwriting, but the dumbass found a way regardless.

"Aren't you done with my design yet?" Kaminari whined for the millionth time, still posed in his trademark attack stance unnecessarily. "This is taking forever!"

"It would go a lot faster if I could concentrate," Kyo growled under his breath. He angrily erased at his drawing for the twentieth time. Adding to the dark smudges that already littered the page.

"For fuck's sake, will you both shut the fuck up!" Bakugou threatened, his eyes shooting murderous intent at the both of them. Their bickering had made him lose his train of thought. Not something he wanted to do when detailing the delicate levels of nitroglycerin his sweat produced to the outsourced support company.

When he felt the comforting weight of Kirishima's hand on his shoulder, he forced himself to take a deep breath. Bakugou knew it wasn't their fault. Kaminari had always been extra bitchy in the mornings when his quirk was fully charged. The abundance of electricity coursing through his body made it difficult for him to focus on specific tasks. And forget trying to keep him still for any significant amount of time. Bakugou could already see the blonde's golden hair stand a little straighter from the extra stored electricity.

"Jeez, forget it!" Kyo yelled, throwing his ruined sketch into the air. With a snap of his fingers, the drawing detonated in a small explosion. The piece of paper instantly catching fire, then crumbling to dust. Right in front of a crestfallen Kaminari.

"That was so cruel," cried the electric-user, hopelessly trying to piece together what pieces survived the blast.

"Kyo, I realize you are new and that you might not have brought up to speed on UA policies, but as you might expect, explosions are not to be detonated in the classroom."

Everyone's eyes glanced at the numerous scorch marks that were permanently burned around the room from Bakugou's temper. The ash-blonde's eye twitched in barely contained rage when the shinobi pointed to the scorch marks under his desk. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

That response, unfortunately, triggered Iida to start monologuing about the correct behavior students and guests should exhibit when on school grounds.

"Iida is right," Ponytail interjected when she noticed everyone was ignoring the Class President. She stepped forward from where she had been calmly monitoring the situation with Tsubasa and Jirou. She crossed her arms across her chest before she continued, "This is a school for heroes. As such, we should strive to act like them, not _demons. _"

The creation hero had replaced the triggering word _"villains,"_ with what she thought was a suitable replacement. Words like _'villain'_ and _'criminal' _had very negative connotations attached to them, so it wasn't a label to be thrown around so casually. However, words like _'devil,' 'demon,' _or _'beast'_ were considered acceptable alternatives. All of which were popular labels to describe Bakugou by his classmates. The terms no longer carried the same negative connotations that they had before quirks surfaced. Even still, Bakugou didn't miss the way the comment made the twins flinch.

Anger violently flared in explosive shinobi's eyes. "Well, I'm not a_ hero_, so get off my case," he warned coldly. He had walked forward, as well. Only stopping when he stood directly in front of the Vice-president. Kyo had to point his chin up a smidgen to look her in the eyes since she was a few inches taller than him, but the intensity of his gaze forced her to take a step back in submission.

"Y-you'd rather be a demon?" Ponytail asked a little shaken. It was evident to Bakugou that she didn't mean to offend Kyo. She was just a privileged rich girl with a pretentious vocabulary. He could see why the shinobi might take offense since her vocabulary often angered him as well. Even so, Kyo's reaction seemed a bit much, even by Bakugou's low standards.

"Maybe, I do. What's wrong with that?" Kyo challenged. His sharp teeth peeking through the gap between his lips.

Bakugou didn't understand why everyone was so moody today, and frankly, he didn't care. He was preparing to yell at everyone to shut the fuck up when he smelled the familiar scent of caramel. Puzzled, he glanced down at his palms. They had suddenly started accumulating more sweat.

"Ouch," Kirishima whined to his right.

Startled, Bakugou looked up in time to see the redhead retract the arm he had rested on Kaminari's shoulder. Traces of the discharged electricity still seen sparkling off his now hardened arm. Kaminari offered a quiet apology. His golden eyes were slightly panicked.

It was then that Bakugou noticed that the temperature in the room was steadily rising. The abrupt change in the atmosphere threatening to set off the already overcharged electrical pulses coming off of Kaminari or detonate Bakugou's quirk with a single spark.

_Detonate…that's right! _

He'd almost forgotten. Bakugou recognized this sensation from the day before. He'd felt the temperature rise several times when Kyo held back his quirk.

_Shit. If he sets it off now, we're so fucking screwed, _Bakugou thought darkly. Positioning himself to intervene if he needed to.

"Hey Kyo, check this out~" The kunoichi quickly chimed in. Expertly stepping in between the opposing teens with her usual carefree demeanor. She waved a taiyaki from one of the hallway vending machines under her teammate's nose. "Can you believe they make dessert taiyaki now? Do you want a bite?~"

"Yeah, sure," he mumbled reluctantly, taking the snack from his teammate's hands. The room's temperature gradually returning to normal as he stomped back to his seat.

The class released a collective sigh, while Bakugou slowly relaxed out of his stance.

"Thank you for the assist Tohru," Yaoyorozu smiled kindly.

Tohru's expression fell slightly. "I didn't do it for you~" she admitted. Her expression was unreadable. "I wanted to keep _him _out of trouble. To be honest, I didn't appreciate what you said either~" her usual cheerful eyes suddenly off-putting.

"That's enough," Aizawa ordered, unzipping himself from his bright yellow sleeping bag. His movements were slightly stiff from napping on the hard ground. He tossed the sleeping bag into a corner to await his next nap. Taking a moment to comb his fingers through his messy hair before continuing, "Since you've got the energy to spare, go get dressed in either your hero costumes or P.E. clothes and meet me at Gym Gamma."

"Yes, Sir!" the class shouted in unison. An air of unease still loomed overhead with the close encounter.

It didn't take long for the class to regroup at the Gym Gamma. Most had already been half-dressed to model for Kyo's renderings. Bakugou killed some time stretching as he waited for Aizawa to start the lesson. Occasionally wiping sweat from his brow. The gym was warmer than he remembered. His crimson eyes scanned the large, enclosed space. He vaguely remembered that this place was created by Cementoss as a safe place for students to develop new techniques like their ultimate moves.

_If we're meeting here, then that means their anticipating a high amount of structural damage, _he theorized. His eyes scanned the mostly barren space. Everything was made of cement. Except for the reinforced windows and the green and orange tiles that protruded from the wall thirty feet up.

"What do you think we're doing?" Kirishima asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"Probably some sort of sparring match. Maybe breaking into teams?" Bakugou offered. He thought he was getting the hang of how this school operated, but this semester threw all his preconceptions out the window.

A flash of orange caught his attention. Across the room, he saw Kyo mingling with the class. Engaging in friendly chit-chat, sometimes throwing a friendly arm around a classmate or high-fiving someone before moving onto another group of students. The teen had always been a social butterfly, but his actions seemed a little forced to Bakugou.

_Was he trying to reassure everyone after the stunt he pulled in the classroom?_

Bakugou shrugged it off when he saw Aizawa enter the room with Cementoss, Midnight, and a deflated All Might. His crimson eyes averted his gaze when he saw his favorite hero's expression brighten after seeing Deku.

"Settle down class," Aizawa ordered in a deadpan tone. "Instead of focusing on something new for your first Adaptability activity, we're going to begin by strengthening your overall teamwork."

Puzzled murmuring broke out among the class. "But Sensei, don't we already work well with one another?" Pinkcheeks questioned. She looked around the class for support. Earning a few nods and murmurs of agreement. "We've been through so much together this past year. It's weird to imagine that cooperation is something we still need to work on."

"It's true that you've all grown to trust and rely on one another this year, thanks to all the hardships you have survived together," Aizawa admitted, adjusting the capture weapon on his shoulders. His eyes scanned each student in turn when he continued, "But when compared to groups that have worked together for years, your cooperation is still lacking. Just because your teamwork is_ decent_, doesn't mean it's_ perfect._ As UA students, you should always strive to continue to push ourselves to new heights."

"These skills will come in handy when you become Pro-Heroes and have to work with rival hero agencies," All might explained further. He quickly glanced at a notecard before continuing, "You'll have to be able to quickly establish specific roles within your group. Even the slightest hesitation or bickering could become your downfall."

"Kyo, Tsubasa, and Tohru," Midnight called beside Aizawa. "Please step forward."

The trio obeyed. Slowly weaving their way through the class. Kyo patting people's shoulders as he went. "Take the shinobi, for example. They've known and worked with one another since they were four-years-old," Midnight continued, motioning to the three students standing at attention beside the teachers.

"That's 12 years to understand someone's fighting style, mannerisms and establish their specific roles within the group," Aizawa summarized. His eyes zeroed in on Bakugou for a moment before continuing. "Bakugou and Midoriya have also known each other that long. However, _their t_eamwork is anything but desirable or efficient."

The ash-blondes eye twitched angrily at the snide comment, but he held his tongue.

"As you can see, you all have a long way to go. We don't expect you to suddenly work together like you've done it your whole lives, but this exercise is designed to demonstrate what your cooperation lacks as a class," the underground hero finished with a yawn.

"So what will we be doing?" asked the frog.

"I'm glad you asked sweetie," Midnight-sensei praised. The R-rated Hero pulled a white headband from thin air and tied it around Tohru's head. "You'll all be working together to retrieve this headband from this adorable girl's head."

"Wait, the whole class is ganging up on one girl?" Tail asked apprehensively. His tail slouching in apprehension.

"This is the best day ever!" the annoying grape exclaimed. Only to be attacked by Jirou's earphone jacks.

_What's the catch? _Bakugou wondered suspiciously. His scrutinizing gaze fixed on Aizawa.

"In this activity, you pass or fail as a class. You will have 30 minutes to coordinate your attacks with each other to retrieve Tohru's headband," Aizawa explained, taking a step forward. "However, she will not be your only opponent. The twins will be acting as her bodyguards."

Crimson eyes moved from the Aizawa to the three shinobi. Bakugou believed he had a good handle on Kyo's fighting style after fighting him himself. It was the other two that he was unsure about. He'd heard a little bit about Tohru's fighting style from Kirishima, but he tended to keep crucial details out of his retellings. The winged shinobi was a complete mystery. Bakugou would have to depend on his limited knowledge of flying quirks and his own experiences maneuvering in the air to help predict his movements.

An evil smile spread across Midnight's lips. "Let's start the new semester with a _bang, _shall we? Everyone be ready to start when the bell sounds," she announced, retreating to where the rest of the teachers were waiting on the sidelines.

Bakugou settled into his usual crouch. His crimson eyes locked on Kyo. The copper-haired shinobi was crouched protectively in front of the kunoichi. There was a chaotic grin on his face as he made eye contact with everyone. His smile widened when he met Bakugou's fiery gaze. The shinobi then wiped the sweat from his brow, winking at Bakugou as he did so.

The ash-blonde suddenly recalled how Kyo had behaved extra friendly before class. How he had touched people as he talked with them, how Kyo zig-zagged between groups, or how he patted people's shoulders before standing in front of the class. Bakugou had noticed the building was abnormally warm but had wrongly assumed there was something wrong with the ventilation system.

_ What did Midnight just say?_

**_"Let's start the new semester with a bang, shall we?..." _**

"Shit…" Bakugou cursed under his breath as the bell sounded for the start of the activity. The explosive hero immediately launched into the air. "Get off the ground, you idiots!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Too late!" Kyo roared. Both of his hands already poised to release his quirk.

The sound of both hands snapping was instantly drowned out by several explosions and the terrified wails of his classmates. The ground cracked under their feet, sending debris and smoke flying in every direction. Bakugou watched the chaos unfold below him from his makeshift perch on top of the narrow row of orange tiles that protruded off of the cement walls.

"Fuck!"

* * *

_**I managed to get this chapter out faster than I expected. The next chapter should also come out relatively quickly since it picks up right where this one ends. I had planed for this fight to take place in this chapter, but it was getting too long. This means that the next chapter with have two class fights in it! The teamwork activity and the first quirkless one.**_

_**I wanted to take this opportunity to say that this is a story will continue to have multiple pov's, but will eventually focus on Bakugou's.**_

_**I hope you're enjoying the Story so far!**_


	6. A Lesson In Teamwork

**_"Let's start the new semester with a bang, shall we?..." _**

"Shit…" Bakugou cursed under his breath as the bell sounded for the start of the activity. The explosive hero immediately launched into the air. "Get off the ground, you idiots!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Too late!" Kyo roared. Both of his hands already poised to release his quirk.

The sound of both hands snapping was instantly drowned out by several explosions and the terrified wails of his classmates. The ground cracked under their feet, sending debris and smoke flying in every direction. Bakugou watched the chaos unfold below him from his makeshift perch on top of the narrow row of orange tiles that protruded off of the cement walls.

"Fuck!"

**_Bakugou P. O. V. _**

**_BOOM!...BOOM!...BOOM!_**

The deafening sounds of explosions mixed with the terrified wails of Class-A reverberated off the violently shaking walls of Gym Gamma. It was only 15 seconds into the match, and already the cement floor had long deep fissures stretching every which way as if an earthquake had ravaged the area. Each explosion generated enough force to send clouds of dust and pieces of debris flying into the air. The thick smog impaired the class's vision and further split them up to create easier targets for their opponents to pick off. Meanwhile, the trio moved quickly through the smokescreen attacking opponents left and right. An embarrassing feat considering the shinobi were supposed to be on the defensive.

Kyo's opening move had knocked half the class prone with one attack, while the other half was thrown into the air a second later when the ground erupted under their feet with his second snap. After that, the shinobi unleashed a devastating series of controlled explosions, alternating between attacking a few students simultaneously to targeting a specific section of the floor. Each barrage announced with a corresponding snap of his fingers. It was a bitter pill to swallow when they realized that the explosions targeting people were nowhere near as strong as the ones that tore up the ground. Only strong enough to send them crashing to the floor with minimal burns and the bruised egos that came with being treated with kid gloves.

Bakugou watched the mayhem unfold below him from his relatively safe perch on top of the orange railing. Deciding to take a page out of Deku's scorched notebook, by examining the enemy before attacking. His crimson eyes strained to differentiate friend from foe within the shadows and random flashes of light moving within the smoke.

"Shit, these extras are getting wrecked," he muttered to himself, catching a glimpse of Ribbons incapacitating Ojiro and Sato with a simple hand chop to the neck through a brief break in the smog.

Impatient, the ash-blonde let go of the railing. Using his quirk to fly over the shifting mass of smoke. However, as he approached, Bakugou felt the pull of strong air currents deliberately interfering with his flight patterns. It took more effort than he would like to admit to keep himself afloat. The air trying its best to drag him down into the swirling dome below him. Pieces of debris mixed in with the wind already starting to tear at his hero costume.

Bakugou's crimson eyes widened slightly in understanding. The impenetrable wind barrier not only kept the rest of the class trapped, but it also prevented the smoke from Kyo's explosions from dispersing. Creating a continuously thickening smokescreen as time passed. The shinobi's ideal fighting environment if Bakugou's match yesterday was anything to go by.

The explosive hero continued to fight the strong air currents as he flew around the dome. Testing it for weaknesses by trying to disrupt the flow with his quirk, but also used himself as bait to draw the wind-user out from his hiding place.

"Tsk looks like I won't be able to break through it unscathed. At least not without killing a few extras in the process," Bakugou muttered in annoyance. His body fought the urge to wince when a piece of shrapnel grazed his cheek. A line of blood trickled sluggishly from the wound.

A sudden wall of air slammed into him. The force sending him rocketing backward until Bakugou was able to slow his momentum down with his quirk. He flipped off the spiraling wind dome before he retreated to the safety of the railing to gather his thoughts.

The explosive hero's plan to lure Tsubasa out in the open had failed. Feathers was still nowhere to be seen. His Tengu quirk, no doubt, kept him well hidden within the ever-shifting smoke. The only trace of him was the gusts of wind that occasionally blocked attacks for his comrades or the smoke shifting to hide them from view. 

_I had hoped to take that Copycat out first, but this bird wannabe's air-manipulation quirk is our biggest problem right now._

The ash-blonde choked back the cough that tickled the back of his throat due to the extremely dusty air. Even at this height, the grittiness of the air made it difficult to breathe. If the heroes wanted to turn the tides of this battle, they needed to do something about this harsh air and clear their field of vision.

As if reading his thoughts, Bakugou sensed a familiar surge of power below him. His eyes immediately zeroed in on the high energy source to see green flashes of electricity peaking through the dense fog. Bakugou's teeth ground together when he heard that all too familiar voice shout out, "Full Cowling: Shoot Style!" A second later, a large gust of wind blasted half of the smoke from the area. The power of One For All too much for Tsubasa's quirk to compete with. The force of Deku's attack even broke some of the gym's windows in the process.

"Watch your fucking aim, nerd!" Bakugou shouted furiously. His body dangling awkwardly from his one-handed grip on a hanging ceiling light. Multiple scratches and scrapes covered his body from the shards of broken glass created from Deku's attack since he had been perched right next to the windows.

The hothead's eye twitched angrily. Like everything the nerd did, Bakugou couldn't help but feel personally targeted by that attack. Deku might always claim to revere him, but instances like this couldn't have been an accident. Unless Deku actually was an idiot, which would anger Bakugou even more if that was the truth.

_Future Symbol of Peace, my ass._

"Sorry, Kacchan!" Deku fretted, his face contorting into numerous nervous expressions. Each one was more aggravating than the last.

"Just attack them already!" Bakugou ordered, swinging his body with his one-handed grip on the light to launch himself into the fray below him.

The nerd's attack wasn't a complete waste. Besides clearing the majority of smoke from their area, it also removed Kyo and Tohru from their smokescreen. Both of them were in cat forms and vulnerable as their sensitive eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. Momentarily leveling the playing field for their classmates to take advantage of. Deku nodded in agreement and immediately moved to attack the closest person, which happened to be Kyo. However, he was instantly knocked off balance from a concentrated explosion aimed at his shoulder from where the shinobi had leaned on him during homeroom.

Instead of helping him, Bakugou focused his attention on Tohru. Determined to win this exercise for his class. "You'd give me that headband if you know what's good for you, Ribbons. I'm not going to hold back just because you're a girl," Bakugou declared, as he closed in on the kunoichi.

"I wouldn't want you too," she replied nervously. Her body instantly fell into a defensive stance with her hands held out in front of her. Her brown cat ears lying flat against her head, while her body trembled slightly in anticipation. Though her sapphire eyes stay determined as she stared down the Beast of Class-A.

"It's your funeral," he retorted, aiming an explosive swing at her once she was in range.

In one fluid movement, she dodged his swing, grabbed hold of his wrist, and slammed her elbow into his ribs. His breath left his lungs with an audible **_WHOOSH!_** Even light-headed as he was, Bakugou noticed that she was twisting his wrist while pulling him forward. Preparing to throw him over her shoulder and smash him to the ground. A move identical to the once Deku used against him during their first class together.

Tapping into his anger and embarrassment, Bakugou swiftly backtracked. Using his superior strength and weight to fall in the opposite direction while dragging her with him. A counter move he prepared in case Deku ever tried to use that cheap move against him ever again. This unexpected change in momentum slammed her into the ground instead, with him landing heavily on top of her. A satisfying gasp escaped her lips when he pinned her hands roughly to her sides while he straddled her body.

Without hesitating, Bakugou reached for the headband on her head before her comrades could come to her aid. Just when he felt his fingertips brush against the silky material, he felt something strong wrap around his throat. Memories of Dabi's fingers latching themselves on the back of his neck flashed through his mind as he felt himself being pulled backward.

_"Checkmate…"_ rang Dabi's voice in his ears.

Panicking, Bakugou forgot about the victory at his fingertips and launched himself back into the air. A knee-jerk response that would've actually strangled him, if it hadn't have been for the hold around his neck releasing itself the second he abandoned the pinned girl underneath him.

Bakugou returned to the safety of his previous perch on top of the hanging lights. His breathing fast and irregular. The adrenaline in his body pushed his quirk to kick into overdrive to ward off the made-up threat. To compose himself, Bakugou bit the inside of his mouth. Relishing in the pain that grounded him to reality. He refused to have a panic attack here in front of everyone. He would never live it down. Bakugou was thankful that no one could see how shaken up he was from this height.

After a few moments, the ash-blonde willed himself to look back at Tohru to confirm that the villain he imagined wasn't there. He wasn't, of course. In his place was a confused looking kunoichi with a long monkey tail. 

_I was triggered by a fucking tail, _the ash-blonde thought to himself. His head hanging in shame.

"Whatever. I'll deal with that later," Bakugou muttered to himself. Shoving his personal problems to the back of his mind to concentrate on the battle in front of him.

A flash of white attached itself to the hanging light next to Bakugou. A few seconds later, the familiar form of Sero landed on top of it. "Sup Blasty," he greeted with the usual smug look plastered on his face. "I can't believe you got your ass handed to you by a girl!" he laughed.

Without even looking, Bakugou landed an explosive swing at the hanging light beside him, which caused it to crash to the floor. The light fixture just barely missed Iida. After recovering from his shock, the class president began to yell at them, though they were too far up to hear his words. Sero had expected that violent response from the hothead, so he attached his tape to the light fixture Bakugou was resting on to avoid getting attacked again.

"Uncalled for," Sero muttered, swaying a few feet below the ash-blonde as he dangled in the air precariously. With his free arm, he rummaged through one of the pockets of his hero costume. "I've got a present for you, courtesy of Momo."

Bakugou raised an eyebrow as Sero tossed him a small case. He looked at it suspiciously. Not fully trusting his idiotic friends to not try to prank him during a class activity. He opened it regardless. Fully committed to blowing Sero out of the sky if it was some kind of joke. Inside he found a communication device. The same model as the ones they used in their first-ever team exercise.

"Don't tell me she expects me to listen to 20 people at once with this?" he complained bitterly but was already taking the device out of the case.

Tapearms shook his head. "She's only made a few communication devices. The rest of the class are getting headphones that pick up the signals," Sero explained, pulling himself on to the light on the other side of Bakugou. He pointed to his ear to show that he was already listening to their classmates' conversation. "She said you'll be very valuable since you've had the most success fighting off two of their members and can study their movements from the air."

"Yeah, no shit," Bakugou agreed. Iida's volume increased below them, but they still couldn't make out his words. Bakugou wasn't looking forward to having him yell straight in his ears. He contemplated throwing the device at Iida. With his hair still a bright shade of purple, there was no way he could miss.

Tapearms followed his friend's gaze and shook his head. "Dude, there's no way you'll make that. Not even _you _can account for the interference of random explosions."

"Watch me."

Sero rolled his eyes. "Are you going to help out or what?"

"What do you think?" The ash-blonde yelled, throwing the case down below with deadly accuracy. Not only hitting their class president but also managed to hit Deku, who had been was standing right beside him. With a satisfied smirk, Bakugou placed the communication device firmly in his ear.

**"Oww, Kacchan…" ** the nerd's whine echoed over the wavelength.

**"Shut up, you've dealt with worse," ** Bakugou berated harshly. He crossed his arms. His usual stance to brace himself against the storm of idiotic ideas he knew was coming his way. **"So, what do you losers want?"**

**"Intel," ** Ponytail's voice explained a little winded. She was busy fighting with Tohru, who's Transformation quirk was giving her Creation quirk a run for its money. The kunoichi was fixated on Ponytail after their little dispute last period. She continually transformed whatever Momo created into something completely useless, like flowers or rocks. Thus, she was in no mood to beat around the bush, which Bakugou could respect. " **You have had a clearer view of their movements than anyone else here. And have engaged in combat with two of the three members." **

**"Is there any kind of weaknesses you've noticed with their quirks or fighting styles?" **Deku added.

Before Bakugou had the chance to insult the nerd, another voice cut in. ** "Don't forget this is a teamwork activity. Let's win this as a class!" ** Kirishima chirped. His voice already quelling most of Bakugou's anger and frustrations.

**"Who is our biggest threat?" ** Kirishima prompted in a gentle tone. The redhead's way of getting Bakugou to talk that made him feel like it was just the two of them. That it was just another conversation they shared between classes or during their study sessions. Bakugou fought the smile that threatened to show on his face.

_Damn, he sure gets me, _he thought to himself. _I guess I have no choice but to work with these extras. _

The ash-blonde took a deep breath before answering. **"Now that we have a way to deal with Feathers' wind, CarrotTop is our biggest threat. He's got you losers running around like a bunch of useless sidekicks," **he sneered over the mic. Some angry muffled voices could be heard in the background from the rest of his classmates that didn't have actual communication devices.

"Classy dude," Sero sighed beside him though Bakugou ignored him.

**"Any information you could provide to help deal with him?" **Ponytail asked, her voice slightly exasperated. No doubt struggling to hold back her urge to scold him for his_ insolence _or whatever.

Bakugou looked down at where Kyo fought with Kirishima and Iida. ** "Before this fight, I had assumed that Carrots could only set one explosion off at a time. However, it appears an ultimate move of his is too detonate multiple targets if they are within a certain distance to one another," **Bakugou relayed to his classmates in a more controlled tone than he ever regarded them with.

He took another deep breath to curb his ever-present anger to prevent himself from blowing up with the thought that he was working with a bunch of amateurs. **"I haven't figured out what the drawbacks are to his quirk yet. Other than you can tell when he's about to detonate a large explosion or is currently charging numerous explosions by the rise in temperature. Though that info won't help predict exactly where the explosion will detonate." **

**"What about a time limit?" **Ponytail asked the group. **"It's obvious that Kyo has to touch something to make it explode. But what's his time frame to do so? Or is it a quantity limit?"**

**"It would have to be some sort of time limit," **Deku theorized after a brief pause. There was some undecipherable rambling before he added in a clearer voice, **"If he had some sort of quantity limit, I don't think he would unleash so many large explosions at the beginning of the match."**

**"If it's a time limit, then it's probably a little less than an hour," **Bakugou theorized in a neutral tone. He would never admit it, but it was nice to go over strategies with other people. It felt like the talks he had with All Might and Deku about One For All. But without all the guilt and self-deprecating thoughts. Deku was still here, so that still sucked a bit. **"He was super friendly before class to make bombs, but I've noticed him detonating people he encountered near the end of homeroom as well."**

**"Since when have you been so helpful?" **Icyhot suddenly cut in with his usual neutral tone. He hadn't been much of a player this fight. Unsure what to focus on since he didn't want to risk hurting any of his classmates. **"I don't think I've ever seen you so docile."**

**"Screw you, Icyhot! I can be helpful if I wanna be!"** Bakugou yelled, peaking everyone's mic. painfully**. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go attack that quirk Copycat." **

**"Great idea Kacchan. A small group of us will attack Kyo to see if we can discover any other weaknesses with his quirk," **Deku announced, motioning to a few people close by. **"Kacchan, see if you notice anything from your higher vantage point."**

**"Don't give me orders, you damn nerd!" **Bakugou retorted harshly. With the aid of his explosion quirk, he launched himself off of his pedestal to feign an attack on another target. His crimson eyes set on Tohru to give Ponytail a much-needed break. The class couldn't afford to have her exhaust her quirk or mind completely.

In a more controlled tone, he added, **"Attack him fast and hard. Make him use his quirk. And if I see an opening, you better get out of the fucking way because I'll be hitting him with everything I've got," **Bakugou warned in a voice dripping with bloodlust.

As he closed in on the kunoichi, the explosive hero couldn't help but think that there was something off about Kyo's fighting. He'd been using his quirk nonstop, but Bakugou wasn't any closer to uncovering the weakness to his quirk yet. It didn't seem to have the same drawbacks Bakugou's quirk had despite being similar.

_Every quirk has a weakness. A vulnerability or function that someone else can exploit. _

It was a truth that Aizawa had drilled into their brains with each lesson. Kyo would be no exception.

While Deku began his assault on Kyo with three other classmates. The ash-blonde pretended to be focused on chasing after Tohru. Bombarding her with vicious taunts and attacking her with unrelenting explosions from the air. Hoping to fool his opponents by playing off of his usual need to win by himself and his tendency to relentlessly attack those who insulted him in any way. All the while, keeping Deku's fight within his line of sight.

This proceeded for a couple of minutes without much luck. Bakugou was starting to get bored and began to focus more on the opponent in front of him. He was prepared to aim an explosive swing at Tohru's vulnerable back when three other simultaneous explosions ripped his attention away. Bakugou managed to look back at Deku's fight just in time to see Kyo takedown Frog, Round Face, and Icyhot with a single snap. Leaving only the future number one hero-who had already been sent to the ground earlier-unaffected by the shinobi's quirk. However, that still left the nerd open for a ground attack with the next snap. Deku's plan to counter Kyo's raw power with sheer numbers failed miserably. At least that's what Bakugou thought.

His crimson eyes narrowed slightly in perplexion. Instead of countering with a close-range explosion from the ground, Kyo lowered himself in a defensive position. Resorting to using a physical block for the first time during this entire fight by raising his arms to guard against Deku's new shoot style.

_Did he reach some kind of limit?_ Bakugou wondered absentmindedly. Slowly backing off of his current opponent to get a better look at the developing situation from above. Kirishima and Mina faithfully moving in to keep Ribbons occupied for him.

_Maybe he has to rest longer in between volleys when he detonates multiple targets at once?_

A dark shadow fell over Deku a moment before he was sent flying with a strong kick. The nerd crashed into Icyhot, who had just managed to get back onto his feet, which sent them both to the ground in a daze. Long wings slowly unfolded to their full length to reveal Tsubasa still holding his kicking stance defensively in front of his brother. His eyes glowed an intimidating silverish blue. Everyone too shocked by the suddenness of the attack to move forward.

One of CarrotTop's cat ears flicked before he rolled his eyes at his brother. He then carefully stepped around one of his wings. His hand mimicked a petting gesture without actually touching the delicate appendage.

_A precaution, maybe?_ Bakugou found himself wondering. Shaking himself out of his trance.

"You better take to the sky," Kyo warned his brother as he slowly crouched down until he was on all fours. Kicking off his shoes to better utilize his quirk. Steam already billowing from where his hands and feet touched the cement. Clawed fingers sunk into the hard ground in preparation to launch himself forward with the help of his quirk. "It's about to get pretty hectic down here."

**"Heads up Idiots! We need to immobilize Carrots now!" ** Bakugou ordered, launching himself at the explosive shinobi.

There was only one problem.

When he shouted his order to his classmates. Three other voices had suddenly rung out through the earpiece he had forgotten he was still wearing. Each one contradicting the commands of the one before it. One of which literally stopped Bakugou in his tracks as a giant iceberg blocked his path.

**"We need to keep our distance!" ** Icyhot declared as he created a wall of ice to keep Kyo away from the rest of the class.

**"Everyone, we need to regroup!" **Deku called loudly.

**"Class spread out! We can't get caught up in the same explosions!" ** Four eyes contradicted.

Not waiting for them to get their act together, Kyo propelled himself toward the would-be heroes after he found a way around the Ice wall. Plummeting Class-A into utter chaos. Fully embracing the cat form he was given, Kyo ran through their class with impressive speed and increased reflexes. Dealing multiple blows all over his victims' bodies before moving on to the next. The shinobi stockpiled bombs with every hit and every footstep until he finally decided to detonate them when the need arose. Either to defend himself or his teammates from attacks or to send people flying in different directions. His detonation quirk also proved to be a powerful deterrent to get too close to allies since Kyo could control the range of the explosions to attack nearby people.

Meanwhile, the four leaders of Class-A continued to fumble over each other as they barked different orders at their classmates. Their friends paying the price for their lack of leadership, as they became easy targets for the shinobi while they struggled to decide which of them to follow. What little teamwork they had was soon abandoned as the class focused on keeping injuries to a bare minimum.

**"What are you losers doing?! Get your asses in gear and attack them already!" **Bakugou shouted over the deafening booms. Trying his best to gain control of the situation while blocking attacks for his teammates whenever he could. The ash-blonde had barely saved Uraraka from running straight into an explosion. His frustration growing with each student that converged around Deku. Their biases influencing them to follow Deku or Icyhot instead of him.

The realization that people were hesitant to put their trust in him stung more than Bakugou thought it would. Another painful reminder that he lacked something crucial. Something Deku had naturally that he flaunted in front of him every chance he got. Bakugou thought he had proven himself to everyone by exhibiting his leadership skills during last week's fight against Class-B, but it seemed it wasn't enough to change their low opinions of him. Bakugou could feel his blood begin to boil.

**"You can't be afraid of getting blown up," ** he advised over the growing lump in his throat. Making an effort to keep his voice level.

**"Kacchan, we need to regroup!" ** Deku argued back in that annoying self-righteous tone.

**"Tsk," ** was all that came over the communication device in response. Frustrated, Bakugou flew at the nerd. Grabbed hold of Deku's metal mouth guard before he rocketed them both to the sky. Ignoring Deku's girly shrieks of protest.

"Take a good long look, you damn nerd," the ash-blonde commanded the crying teen in his grip. The communication device momentarily switched off.

From above, it became apparent that there was only so much the class could do against the shinobi's teamwork. It was leaps and bounds ahead of their own. In the sky, they witnessed Tsubasa's impressive wind defense protect his teammates from the ranged immobilization attacks from Frog and Tapearms. Observed the devastation left in Kyo's wake as he zig-zagged through their class. Littering the already hazardous terrain and even their allies with devastating booby-traps, which caused mass panic. And of course, both had already witnessed the versatility that Tohru's Transformation quirk provided her teammates when she gave her teammates and herself animal traits that could help them in any situation, as well as cover her teammates' blindspots.

"Do you understand now?" Bakugou boomed as he threw Deku down into the fray to help out a struggling group of their classmates. The ash-blond was stubborn and overwhelmingly tenacious, but he wasn't stupid. If Deku had the class's full support than Bakugou would just have to convince the nerd to back up his plan for them to win. "We need to break their formation by immobilizing CarrotTop _now_. Before he completely destroys our ranks."

The nerd landed in front of Asui and Koda just in time to break apart Tsubasa's wind attack with another one of his Full Cowling kicks. **"Kacchan, we can't risk sending in a large group to confront him. With one touch, Kyo could use us to hurt our teammates," **Deku fretted in his usual overthink everything mentality. Even though the longer they waited, the less likely they were to win the exercise. Kyo needed to be restrained right_ then_ if they had any hope to get to Tohru in time.

After a brief hesitation, the nerd continued, **"We need to focus on trying to keep him at bay with our long-ranged attacks while the rest of us go after the headband."**

Bakugou liked to think that he had calmed down a bit from the days where he actively tried to destroy Deku every time he saw him. The last couple of months, being officially in on his secret and training with him under All Might himself forced them to work together quite frequently. Bakugou's new philosophy to _"win and save" _was very important to him. That didn't mean the explosive hero was entirely at peace with his forced relationship with his new rival. Bakugou had plenty of opportunities to witness Deku grow in strength and dissect his fighting style and motivations. The nerd was extremely dedicated and had the heart of a _"true hero." _But even so, Bakugou couldn't shake the thought that Deku was just downright selfish.

**"Don't be an idiot. Didn't you learn anything from my fight yesterday?" ** Bakugou yelled in exasperation. He knew that the stalker probably watched the fight closer than he had. No doubt writing enough notes to publish a book on the topic. "**He can dodge long-ranged attacks like it's nothing. You have to get in close if you're going to have any sort of chance to beat him," **Bakugou urged harder. His knuckles turning white with how hard he balled them at his sides.

Deku shook his head while he used another kick to break through Feather's wind attack. **"We have enough powers amongst us to keep him at bay from a distance. There's no need to sacrifice people to get the job done." **

This was precisely why Bakugou couldn't stand Deku sometimes. Once he had something in mind, he refused to give it up. For better or for worse. Confident that his way was the best way to handle any situation because of his stalker Esque knowledge or because he was All Might's successor. Bakugou noticed it a few times during their discussions with All Might. Bakugou would express his opinions about how One For All might work but would be shrugged off by Deku, who would immediately poke holes in his reasoning. Only ever accepting what he had to say if All Might himself acknowledged his opinions.

Bakugou was forced to accept that he wasn't perfect. But from what Bakugou witnessed, Deku had never been forced to admit that fact. His life had only gotten better by gaining All Might's powers. Deku had been chosen. Everything he set out to do miraculously working out for him in the end. Unlike Bakugou.

**"Since when are you afraid of getting hurt to win?" **the explosive hero sneered back. Dodging explosion after explosion as he tried to close in on Kyo. A task that would be so much easier if he had more people to help corral him. His anger was approaching nuclear levels. **"Just be competent, and that won't be an issue. Stop playing into his hands!"**

They were getting nowhere.

**"Kacchan, we're running out of time. If we don't get that headband soon, then we're all going to fail. Is that what you want?" **Deku chastised over the communication device. His desperation for Bakugou to submit to his stupid plan made his voice uncharacteristically harsh and even peaked the mic.

Bakugou ground his teeth together. _That was childish, _he thought to himself.

Deku might not have intended it, but his words painted Bakugou as the villain in this scenario. The passive-aggressive question marked the blonde as the catalyst for their crappy predicament. Even now, Bakugou could feel the atmosphere change as their classmates started to shoot him with undeserved dirty looks.

_It's crap like this that makes me hate you so goddamn much Deku..._

"News flash Einsteins', this is not the time to have this discussion!" Jirou sassed to Bakugou's right. She dodged a blow Kyo aimed at her stomach with a shield courtesy of Momo.

Her anger at the helplessness she felt outweighing her self-preservation instincts by insulting her hot-headed classmate while he was already in a foul mood. She'd gladly take on his wrath if it meant the two boys would put aside their differences and agree on a plan to win. However, she instantly regretted that decision when the muted shade of ash invaded her field of vision, followed by something substantial colliding into her side, which knocked her off her feet. The ground where she had previously stood exploded violently with a deafening ** _BOOM!_**

Bakugou somehow managed to reach her in time with the help of his quirk, though not unscathed. A pained hiss escaped his lips as he felt one of his ears rupture due to the proximity of the explosion. Clenching his teeth through the pain. Bakugou wrapped his arms around the punk rocker protectively as they were thrown to the ground from the momentum. Doing his best to shield her from the intense heat and sharp rubble as they skidded across the ground.

"Why do I always end up saving your sorry ass?" Bakugou muttered when they finally came to a stop. Unable to hear his voice due to the painful ringing in his ears.

He pushed himself off of her with a pained grunt; his movements stiff due to his bruised muscles. Her violet eyes looked concerned, and her lips moved a mile a minute, though he couldn't hear what she said. Self-conscious, he turned away from her and raised his hand to gingerly touch his injured ear, only for it to come back covered in blood. The sight turning his stomach.

_That's definitely going to speed up my hearing loss._

Bakugou jumped slightly when Jirou suddenly came into his line of sight. She was trying to ask him something, but the message was lost on him. Her purple eyes widened in realization when she recognized in his confused scowl. The punk rocker immediately removed the headphones off of her head and placed them over his ears. Utterly unconcerned about the blood.

In sloppy JSL, Jirou signed, _"These headphones should help counter the ringing in your ears and protect them from further damage." _

She was right. The low humming that the Bluetooth headphones produced had already lessened the ringing considerably. He still couldn't hear much, but it was relieving all the same. He muttered an awkward _"thanks,"_ hoping it was clear enough to understand.

A movement to his left announced the arrival of a worried Kirishima and Deku. The latter stopped in his tracks when he saw his bloodied hand and what still dripped from the side of his face. "See, we need to knock him out of commission before anyone else is taken out," Bakugou snapped harshly, holding his hand up for emphasis. Hoping his voice was at a reasonable level.

"Hang on, let me think," Deku urged, his voice too quiet and muffled to Bakugou's injured ears.

Bakugou saw red.

Deku talked a big game about not wanting to sacrifice anyone, but his hesitation was leaving everyone vulnerable. The explosive hero had enough. Irritated, Bakugou lashed out.

"Fuck, Deku! Why can't you ever go with my plan for once in your life?! You owe me that much!" Bakugou argued back. He was desperate for a chance to prove himself. To Deku, to the class, to All Might, to everyone that had ever doubted him. Bakugou would prove to all of them that he had what it took to be a leader. He would be a fucking great one too!

Deku was left speechless at his outburst, which to Bakugou meant he didn't value what he had to say. "Fuck it! Do whatever you want. I'm going to do it my way," Bakugou snapped, already sprinting full speed at his copper-haired target. Over his shoulders, he offered his classmates a last token of advice. "I'm going to create an opening for you to win, so you better complete things on your end."

And with that, he left them to their own devices. An uncomfortable looking Kirishima right on his heels._ Good_, according to his observations, Kyo's detonation quirk had just as much trouble breaking through the redhead's hardening quirk, as Bakugou's did.

That gave him an idea.

"Squad, on me!" he called over the chaos.

Glimpses of yellow, black, and pink moved into his peripheral vision. A smirk spread across his face. He didn't need to look back to know that his ragtag group of idiots had rallied behind him to attack as a unified front. Bakugou would never say it to any of their smug faces, but he absolutely loved his squad. He couldn't think of anyone he'd rather have charged into battle with him. They had always trusted that he knew what he was doing and that he would lead them to a glorious victory.

_I'll show all of them, _Bakugou vowed silently. He didn't need the rest of those fucking rejects. Bakugou would make his plan succeed with his own squad of heroes.

Bakugou adjusted the borrowed headphones on top of his head. "Thanks to Deku's hesitation earlier, my ears are mostly shot at the moment," Bakugou confided to his friends before they closed in on their opponent. All of them were aware of his ongoing battle with Tinnitus. "That means I can't hold your hand during this fight. So you all have to give him everything you got. You idiots understand?"

Four heads nodded in understanding.

"Good," he grinned. Bakugou looked over his shoulder at the only people crazy enough to follow him without a second thought. _Idiots_, the whole lot of them, but a force to be reckoned with if pointed in the right direction with clear instructions. "Now listen up, I'm only going to be giving your orders once, so you better pay attention."

"Shitty-Hair and Pikachu, we're going to be attacking that bastard head-on," the ash-blonde called over his shoulder. Bakugou and Kirishima had the best chance of approaching the explosive shinobi without being harmed, while Kaminari would be useful if he managed to stun him with his quirk.

"Horns, I want you to juggle your time between shrinking our fighting area by skating around us and also by using your quirk to offer us support whenever needed," he ordered, with a smirk. Mina's acid was incredibly versatile. If used correctly, her quirk should allow her to limit Kyo's movement considerably, as well as help her to evade his physical attacks, should he attempt to attack her.

"Leave it to me!" the pinkette saluted, her voice barely audible in his ears. She was already using her quirk to slide alongside them.

To Sero, he added, "SoySauce, stick to the sidelines and wait for your chance to grab him." While the rest of them tried their best to back Kyo in a corner, it would be up to Sero to immobilize the shinobi when they finally managed to get the drop on him. His new ultimate move Double Tape Lasso-or stupidly shortened to DTL-would surely come in handy. The dark-haired hero had made great strides in converting his old habit of sharply angling his body to further the reach of his tape, into a way to hide a second lasso within the blindspot his angled body created. When a target tried to dodge one strand of tape, they would immediately get ensnared in the second. A technique that proved strong enough to capture Bakugou in mid-flight during a practice fight. Earning Sero, his first and only win against the ash-blonde hero.

Their trump card, however, was Kaminari. "Pikachu, when you get an opportunity, let him have it. Don't worry if you hit us," Bakugou authorized when they closed in on their target. Their friend group was more or less immune to Kaminari's electric quirk at this point. They all had been shocked both accidentally and on purpose countless times before. It still hurt like hell, but it no longer stunned them anymore. The pain they could live with, but they couldn't afford for Dunceface to hold back his attack. Not on this monster of an opponent.

"You sure you'll be enough to keep me pinned down?" Kyo taunted over his shoulder, before suddenly turning on his heels to face them. His trademark smirk on his face, which exposed one of his fangs. "Do me a favor and take a little dirt nap for a while," the shinobi laughed as he snapped both of his hands.

"Kirishima," The explosive hero called, veering off to the side with Kaminari firmly held in his grip. Sero and Mina slowing themselves down to let Kirishima charge on ahead of them.

"On it!" Kirishima called back, his body instantly transforming into his Unbreakable form. His sharp fingers ripped a large piece of stone from the floor and held it up in front of him to shield his teammates from the incoming explosions. Using his own body as a bracer to keep it firmly held together as he continued to charge forward. His body holding strong as blast after blast chipped away at his defenses. By the end of the barrage, Kirishima's improvised shield was reduced to nothing but dust in his hands, but he succeeded in his task of protecting his friends as they closed the distance to their target.

Bakugou erupted from the smog of Kyo's attack and landed a solid kick on the shinobi's shoulder. Forcing the other teen to take a knee from the strength of the blow. As expected, the copper-haired teen immediately prepared to detonate Bakugou's leg. With a smug grin, the hero-in-training twisted his body in mid-air. Positioning his marked leg right in front of the shinobi's face the second, Kyo snapped his fingers. With no time to cancel his attack, they both were struck with an impressive explosion at point-blank range.

Pain flared up the ash-blonde's leg, but he shoved it to the back of his mind. Bakugou knew that his surprise attack wouldn't be lucky enough to put Kyo down for the count. A ferocious growl sounded to his right, further supporting that hypothesis. The shinobi suddenly appeared in front of him. A clawed hand attempted to take a swipe at his face, but it was slightly off target due to the shinobi's frequently blinking eyes.

The explosive hero dodged the attack effortlessly. Despite missing his opponent, Kyo continued to follow through with his slash until it hit the ground. Once his hand made contact, the shinobi shifted his weight onto his wrist, twisting as he did so, to land a heavy kick at the ash-blonde's chest. The strike forcing Bakugou to fall backward.

Quick as a flash, a powerful jagged hand grabbed hold of Kyo's extended leg. Lifting him awkwardly into the air. Kyo snapped his fingers out of reflex, but the explosion bounced off the hardened hand harmlessly. His attack only served to burn his ankle in the process. Desperate, Kyo's sharp claws tried to grab hold of the floor to keep himself grounded to no avail. As soon as he was lifted over Kirishima's head, the Ball-of-Sunshine slammed the explosive shinobi to the ground with deadly force. Causing Kyo to cough up a small amount of blood from the strength of the blow.

The redhead's eyes widened in concern. "Hey, are you alright, man?" he asked his opponent. Worry caused Kirishima's grip to loosen around the limp body below him without realizing it.

"Idiot, don't lower your guard!" Bakugou scolded, rushing to restrain the shinobi with Sero right on his heels.

CarrotTop, of course, took advantage of the hero's kindness. He immediately kicked out of the redhead's hold and back-flipped out of reach. His burned ankle stumbling slightly on his landing a few feet away. Kyo's calculating eyes took a moment to study their positions around him. Noting how Bakugou and Kirishima stood in front of him, that Kaminari and Sero flanked each of his sides and, of course, how Mina circled them continuously as she covered the terrain with her acid. Efficiently, cutting off his escape.

_He's starting to realize how much trouble he's in, _Bakugou deduced. _That means his next attack should be on the person he thinks is the highest threat._

Bakugou prepared himself to block an attack for either Sero or Mina. But he was caught entirely off guard when Kyo made a mad dash for Kaminari instead. The ash-blonde didn't even have a chance to shout a warning to the half-wit before Kyo snapped his fingers to send Bakugou to the ground. All while he raised his arm to deliver a blow at the electric user.

To everyone's surprise, Kaminari managed to dodge Kyo's swing. He even jumped out of the way of the shinobi's follow up attack to detonate the ground behind him a few milliseconds before Kyo snapped his fingers. The blonde's hair sparkled with the partial activation of his quirk. No one looked more shocked than Kyo did. Who blinked dumbly at the spot Kaminari should have been incapacitated on.

The Bakusquad took advantage of his surprise. Each of them attacked simultaneously to take down the troublesome shinobi. Bakugou launched himself at Kyo to steal his attention away from Mina, who slid in and kicked the legs out from under him with one of her break dancing moves. Her acid quirk also prevented their opponent from using his quirk to detonate the ground around them. Kaminari took advantage of the acid Kyo now laid in to send his quirk in a straight path toward their target.

The shinobi's muscles seizing up violently from the shock. At the same time, a series of massive explosions detonated across Gym Gamma all at once with the accidental release of Kyo's quirk. The result knocking several students prone, heroes and shinobi included, as well as tearing up a significant amount of the floor. Kirishima and Bakugou immediately tackled the copper-haired teen to the ground. Fighting the electric currents that flowed through Kyo's body while they grabbed hold of an arm each.

A strange gurgling growl sounded in Kyo's throat. The disturbing sound made Bakugou's blood curdle. "Kirishima, pry his mouth open. Make sure he doesn't bite his tongue off," Bakugou ordered urgently. It wouldn't look good if they ended up killing one of their new classmates on the second day of class.

The red-head obeyed. Managing to do so with little resistance from his captive by shoving a torn part of his hero costume in Kyo's mouth before helping Bakugou and Sero retrain his arms to his back with tape. As a precaution, they taped his fingers together so Kyo wouldn't be able to use his quirk. Only when Bakugou was sure that their target was fully restrained did Kaminari finally turn off his electric quirk. The extended-release of electricity short-circuiting his brain to make that dumb expression on his face.

A relieved sigh escaped Kyo's lips. To their surprise, he made no move to escape. Seemingly content to just rest limply against the ground. Not even shifting his weight to make himself more comfortable. Bakugou noted the sweat that dripped from Kyo's brow and that his breath came in short pants after spitting the rag out of his mouth.

_He must have exhausted himself when he overused his quirk. The idiot probably can't move at all,_ Bakugou theorized. Especially when he didn't waste any energy to make any wisecracks at them.

Regardless, the explosive hero kept a firm hold of his prisoner. On the off chance that this was just part of an elaborate ruse to lull them into a false sense of security. With only a few minutes left until the time limit was up, they couldn't risk Kyo breaking free. Unlike Tohru, the twins could keep fighting if they manage to escape their captors. Bakugou's crimson gaze drifted toward the rest of the class to take in their progress.

Just as Bakugou had predicted. Once Kyo had been taken off the board, their hopeless situation turned around for the better. Allowing Deku's group to capture Tsubasa almost immediately. In the end, Class A managed to restrain both guards, but they couldn't retrieve Tohru's headband before their time limit expired. The kunoichi was miraculously able to dodge the class's advances until the very end.

No one took that loss harder than Momo. Ponytail had been attacked relentlessly by the kunoichi throughout the entirety of the match. The Vice-president tried her best to create useful gadgets to support her teammates, but Ribbons would attack her or her creations to prevent her from aiding her friends. It was a shock to everyone to see the bubbly ditzy girl fight so aggressively. Apparently, not over the rude words Ponytail had uttered to her teammate during Homeroom.

In the final seconds, Momo had managed to block a blow from the kunoichi by handcuffing one of Tohru's hands to herself. Blocking off her retreat and making her quirk useless in the process. Ponytail's onyx eyes had sparkled with triumph as she yanked Tohru to her to remove the headband from her person. The victory was theirs for the taking. At least, that's what they all believed.

The brunette swiftly pulled one of the dangly ribbons from her head. In a fluid movement, she gave the hair tie a little flick. Before their very eyes, the ribbon defied gravity as it remained completely straight in midair, as it morphed into a shimmering silver sai. Twirling the ninja weapon in her hands once before cutting through the chain connecting them-and their hopes of winning-like warm butter. Once free, Tohru transformed herself into a cheetah form and ran out of their reach.

"We'll class, that was an underwhelming showing on your part," Aizawa commented when they all gathered around after their lesson. His fellow teachers standing beside him. An assortment of expressions painted their features. Ranging from surprise to abashment. The trio stood to the side of them, with only Kyo looking a little worse for wear. The Underground hero didn't seem all that surprised by the outcome, but he was definitely disappointed by their lack of cooperation. "I expected better from you all. Who would like to make a guess as to why you failed so miserably?"

A gloomy silence washed over the class. Everyone's gaze dropped to their feet in shame. It was incredibly embarrassing to be beaten 3v20 when their opponents were supposed to be on the defensive. No wait, it was 3v21 now that Shinsou was in their class. Bakugou had worried that he wouldn't be able to hold his own in their class, but he had been the one that ended up catching the other Hitsuzen twin. With a replica of Aizawa's capture weapon no less.

The ash-blonde's crimson eyes narrowed at his new classmate. Compared to the rest of the class, he looked relatively unharmed. No signs of soot from Kyo's explosions or tears in his gym clothes from Tsubasa's wind attacks anywhere to be seen on his person.

_How in the hell..?_

"Sensei, may I?" Ponytail cut in self-consciously, her hand slightly raised.

Aizawa gave her a curt nod to continue with her explanation. "We were completely disorganized. We failed to heed All Might's words at the beginning of class about the importance of assigning roles within our group. As a result, we fell apart under the lack of leadership," she began sullenly. Her head lowered in shame, the longer she spoke, which spread to the rest of the class.

"In contrast, our opponents' teamwork was flawless. They covered each other's weaknesses and enhanced their teammates' strengths. Our enemies took advantage of our infighting and further sowed seeds of chaos within our ranks," she further explained for the class. Frustrated tears threatened to fall from her onyx eyes. "Then there was my screw up at the end. I allowed myself to celebrate our supposed victory before grabbing Honda-san's headband. I let everyone down, and for that, I am truly sorry," she finished with a disgraced bow.

Aizawa let out a long exasperated sigh. "Yeah, that pretty much sums up your questionable performance," he agreed bluntly, causing everyone to deflate. They had never failed so severely before. In teamwork, no less.

A loud cough stole their attention. "But it wasn't for nothing. It's important to remember that you can learn more from failure than you can from success. Besides that, we witnessed some creative skills exhibited on both sides. From Bakugou, Mina, Kaminari, Shinsou, Tohru, and Yaoyorozu, especially," Aizawa acknowledged. Everyone's spirits rose slightly from the praise.

Bakugou shot a smug smirk Deku's way.

"However, that doesn't mean any of you can afford to slack off," the underground continued. His expression was dark and difficult to read. His charcoal eyes scanned the crowd of students one by one. "Look alive, everyone. This is when the real training begins," he finished a little wickedly. And with that, Class A immediately resumed with their first-ever Quirkless lesson much to everyone's dismay. They about dropped dead.

**_Kyo P. O. V. _**

Everyone was utterly exhausted from the teamwork activity. Their poor abused muscles and minds still reeled from being pushed beyond their limits.

_Good, that's what we want, _Kyo purred to himself. Taking great pleasure from seeing their haggard forms prepare themselves for the next bout of training.

Every tear in their clothing, reddening burn on their skin and bruise forming on their person was a physical reminder of the lessons that he and his teammates had literally beaten into them. Each injury provided crucial hints about what they still needed to work on, whether that be defensive timing, offensive power, strategic planning, and of course, teamwork. Over the next semester, Aizawa and the trio would be responsible for building off the foundation of what they learned today; to help them improve their overall fighting capabilities and overcome their weaknesses.

It was no accident that they were starting the Quirkless activity while they're tired and beaten down. Aizawa and the shinobi wanted to replicate a simulation in which their quirks and bodies were nowhere near their top condition. This way, the class could easily relate to a realistic situation in which their quirks might be rendered useless due to fatigue. The most common reason they might find themselves left powerless one day.

_Even if it's not the most pressing reason for this training,_ the carrot top couldn't help but think, as he too stretched his abused muscles to prepare himself for the intense fighting to come.

Kyo winced slightly when he stretched too far. Class A won't be the only ones fighting while exhausted. The brawl with Bakugou and his friends had aggravated his still-healing injuries. Not to mention that his accidental detonation at the end had zapped most of his stamina in one fell swoop. Even as he stood obediently beside Aizawa and his teammates, it took all his will power to keep himself at attention with his eyes open. If he wasn't careful, he could easily fall asleep on his feet.

A female voice suddenly got his attention. "Similar to the teamwork lesson, you'll be pitted against one of the shinobi," Midnight sensei started to explain. She held up a white flag with a red number 1 written on it. "Your task is simple. One by one, each of you will be trying to retrieve the flag with your seat number from one of these shinobi. Neither of you will be allowed to use your quirks, and doing so will disqualify you from the activity."

"To pass, you need to grab your numbered flag or showcase your competence to the shinobi testing you," She continued to explain before a student interrupted her.

"You mean they're the ones scoring us?" a disembodied voice asked suddenly. Her floating clothes moved back in forth to suggest she was waving to get everyone's attention. Kyo found the invisible girl's presence unsettling. Her aura, as well as her body, was challenging to pick out. Putting him on edge. "Is that fair?"

"It is," Aizawa answered in an authoritative tone. One that commanded you obey without question. A tone that always stirred Kyo's mischievous personality, even though he had nothing but respect for the dark-haired man standing a couple of feet to his left. "Just because they are your classmates, don't forget they are here to teach you as well. During the Quirkless lessons, they have as much authority as any other teacher here at UA. Do what you're told, or you'll be paying for it during your training sessions."

"We're gonna die," wept a bulky guy with big lips.

"We'll be here to supervise to make sure it doesn't get too out of hand," a skinny man with long golden hair promised cheerfully. Doing his best to look confident, but there were clear signs of unease painted on his features.

"That's not very comforting," a girl with large unblinking eyes pointed out.

"If that's everything, let's get started," Kyo interrupted impatiently. The longer he stayed awake without replenishing his stamina, the weaker he grew. He needed to get this lesson over with quickly and take a cat nap if he was going to have any sort of hope of making it the rest of the day. Even now, he felt his eyelids grow heavier. Screaming for him to fall asleep.

The trio randomly grabbed a string with seven flags attached to it and tied it across their chests. Not only did the future heroes have to retrieve their flags, but they also had to make sure to grab the correct one from the numerous ones that dangled from their person. Upping the ante just a little more.

"When I call your number step forward and line up away from your classmates," Kyo instructed. A precaution to dissuade the students from strategizing with one another. It would defeat the purpose of their aptitude test if they received support from their friends. "1, 4, 7, 8, 16, 19, and 20."

Once the seven students stepped forward and stood in a half-circle around him, he continued with the instructions. "Now, before we start. I wanted to remind you that you're not allowed to use your quirks. Weapons, however-" he began, motioning to the cart Tohru rolled over to him. On it was an assortment of weapons from practice swords to daggers. "Are fair game," he finished with a smirk that revealed his fangs.

He casually grabbed a dagger and began to twirl it in his hands. "Before you throw a fit, they're all wooden. No way am I putting a real weapon in your hands yet. You'll probably end up stabbing yourself," Kyo explained with a halfhearted laugh. With that, they got started with the exercise.

Kyo was too lazy to read the info packets Aizawa provided him, so he didn't remember many of the student's names yet. Not that it would've helped much. He tended not to pay much attention when it came to people's names anyway. When you meet as many people as they do, it was incredibly challenging to keep them all straight. Not to mention that sometimes the other world versions of people they encountered before had entirely different names. To combat this, Kyo preferred to make up nicknames for the people he meets.

His crimson eyes scanned the students assigned to him. _Let's see there's Sparkles, Eyebrows, Sparky, Kiri, Stalker, Disgusting, and Ponytail. There's a couple that looks interesting, but I don't expect much from the rest._

"Let's get this over with. Whoever wants to start, step forward," the explosive shinobi ordered impatiently. Dropping into a low crouch. His preferred defensive stance since Kyo's movements tended to be more animalistic.

A sparkly nitwit with golden hair doesn't hesitate to step forward. Surprising Kyo with his initiative. "First is me, mon ami," the teen announced in a heavy French accent that made him cringe with its exaggerated pronunciation. The shinobi knew his accent was weird to most people, but this one grated against his ears painfully. "Time to bring some class to your life."

As one would expect, the match ended a couple of seconds later. It wasn't even the taunt that had set the explosive shinobi off, though that didn't help things either. Mostly, it was because Kyo knew the guy wasn't worth his time. He knew that the second he laid eyes on the guy. Coupled that with his unjustified arrogance and Kyo had no choice but to knock some sense into him, the only way Kyo knew how. With a simple hand chop to the neck. Aizawa gave Kyo an earful before he was permitted to resume to the next match.

Next up was the purple-perv that Sparky had told him about the day before. Kyo's crimson eyes glowed red the second the little pipsqueak stepped forward. The explosive shinobi's anger and bloodlust instantly made the gym 20 degrees hotter than it had been a second before.

_How dare he try to take indecent photos of Tohru!_

His body towered over his soon to be victim threateningly. A cough from Aizawa reminded him that he wasn't allowed to kill the insignificant grape in front of him.

_Fine. _

But as that kid soon learned, there were all kinds of fates worse than death. The kid didn't stand a chance of getting a flag, but Kyo toyed with him regardless. Beating the grape juice out him until All Might finally intervened. In retrospect, Kyo was amazed they had let him go for as long as he did. Maybe the teachers were aware of his despicable behavior and decided to turn a blind eye to the justified beating.

After the first two, Kyo made a conscious effort to reign his antics in a bit. It wouldn't be fair if he didn't give the remaining students a chance at least. Eyebrow's speed was impressive, but his fighting style was too predictable, and the class president ran out of stamina quickly. It took Kyo no time at all to memorize his movements and find an opportune time to deliver counter-attacks to trip him up. In the end, he was unable to retrieve his flag before Kyo decided it was enough and ended the match.

Kirishima was one of the few names he knew, though Kyo quickly adopted the affectionate nickname _"Kiri,"_ that his new friend group called him by. The red-head was incredibly strong even without his quirk. He was also surprisingly fast Kyo noticed when he almost grabbed a flag after a sudden lunge forward, catching him off guard. Kiri required better form when fighting, but was impressive nonetheless. The hero could benefit from increasing his speed since it would transfer to his hardened form as well. While Kirishima didn't retrieve a flag, Kyo gave him a passing grade for the activity.

Momo had experience with weapons, but her form needed improvement. It was sloppy and easily broken. Though the craftsmanship of her weapons was impressive. Not entirely on par with his, but for someone who never made them the _"correct"_ way. They were sufficient. Kyo, unfortunately, had to dock her points, because they were supposed to be using wooden weapons since none of them had been appropriately trained to wield the real thing yet. Regardless of that mistake, she passed the lesson.

The invisible stalker was a nightmare. Not only did Hagakure not take the lesson seriously, but she was also annoying, if not a bit terrifying. Her presence was hard to pinpoint, sometimes it even disappeared completely, even when he could see her floating clothes in front of him. With how sharp his senses were, that shouldn't be possible. That was why he had almost killed her at their sleepover the other night. He had felt something latch onto him roughly and hadn't noticed her presence in the slightest for a good few seconds after the initial physical contact. Since then, he could feel her invisible eyes on him now and then and felt her presence lurking in the background like an ominous shadow. In lamen terms, she creeped the hell out of him. Like sparkles, he ended up finishing her fight relatively quickly, just to get away from her.

The last one up was Kaminari or "Sparky," as Kyo liked to call him. Overall, he lacked a proper fighting style, but his instincts were on point. _No, that's not right,_ Kyo realized when he saw the golden-haired boy land clumsily after expertly dodging a lightning-fast blow Kyo had aimed at his stomach.

It seemed Kaminari's fighting instincts were there but were slow and underutilized. The reason Kaminari surprised him during the last class and why he was currently able to dodge Kyo's advances now was because of something the shinobi had never experienced before. Kaminari's "quirk" was responding to Kyo's detonation powers. Notifying Sparky of his opponent's movements and converting the elemental nature of his quirk to speed up his reflexes in the process. Kyo could see it in the way Kaminari's hair stood up and how it sparked whenever he got close. Even when the electric-user wasn't actively calling on the use of his quirk.

Sparky was technically breaking the rules, but not of his own will. It was something Aizawa briefly explained as living quirks. Something that had a mind of its own or responded to outside influences regardless of what the user wished. Making these uncontrollable instances no fault of the person in question.

Take Bakugou; for example, his quirk allowed him to sweat a nitroglycerin-like substance from his palms. Even though it was Bakugou's quirk and he could make himself sweat more when fighting, it was something that occurred naturally and could never be turned off. Even Aizawa's cancelation powers couldn't keep the hothead from sweating, only from creating sparks to make his sweat explode. Kaminari's quirk somehow zeroed in on the latent lightning properties of Kyo's detonation ability to help Kaminari predict Kyo's movements.

_Sparky probably can't duplicate this fighting style with anyone else at the moment,_ theorized the copper-haired teen. Noting how Kaminari didn't even seem aware that his quirk was activated to some extent. _But if he's able to master this power, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in the future._

The shinobi was busy trying to figure out a way to help nurture Kaminari's new ability without exposing his secret when his sharp ears picked up a conversation on the sidelines.

"Wow, Kyo's been fighting Kaminari for a while now. Though it doesn't look like he's making any progress getting a flag. Do you think Kyo's tired or something?" a bubbly female voice asked.

His crimson eyes risked a glance in that direction to see a cheerful girl with light brown hair talking with Tohru.

"No, that's not it~" Tohru assured in her usual sweet voice. Beside her was Bakugou, TapeGuy, and Tsubasa's friend Freckles. She continued a little nervously, "Kyo loves to fight, but he doesn't like to waste his time on people he doesn't think are a challenge or interesting. If he doesn't think your worth his time, he'll knock you out with one hit. Kinda like what he did to poor Aoyama. If he enjoys a fight or an opponent, he'll drag it out to learn more about them. It's Kyo's way of showing respect for one's abilities. I believe he finds Kaminari to be a very interesting opponent. He probably wishes that Kaminari was allowed to use his quirk to see him at full power~"

Kyo smiles at that. _Nice assessment Tohru,_ he praised as he sidestepped to prevent Kaminari from grabbing hold of his flag.

"He's an idiot for pulling that crap in his condition," Bakugou's voice suddenly muttered, giving both of them pause.

Kyo didn't need to glance at them to know that she was probably blinking at him in confusion. "I'm not sure I know what you mean," her voice responded after a brief pause.

There was another long pause before he whispered back, "He's injured, isn't he?"

The shock from that statement almost made him get hit by a punch from Kaminari. Thankfully he recovered in time to parry the blow. As he did so, he could hear Tohru trying to cover for him. Saying that he must be mistaken or something along those lines. But the ash-blonde didn't buy it.

His voice was low when he stressed, "I heard him arguing with his brother earlier. Something about _'not pushing himself."_

Kyo's spirits dropped. _Damn it. So they did hear us, _he berated himself harshly. _Was that all they heard?_

After hearing that, Tohru doesn't deny it any further. Her voice was small when she hesitantly admitted that he was still recovering from an injury from their last mission. She doesn't say anything more on the matter, and while Bakugou was clearly still suspicious, he doesn't press the subject any further. 

_Shit, these kids are too perceptive for their own good._

Kaminari didn't end up getting a flag, but Kyo passed him anyway. He showed terrific potential if officially taught how to fight and utilize his powers. Kyo found a comfy spot and watched the rest of the matches while slowly regaining his stamina. His little brother was the next proctor. He would be testing Pinky, Toad, BubblyGirl, Rockhead, Tape, Candycane, and Freckles.

Pinky and Toad were both athletic but lacked the fighting skills to even touch his younger brother. Both failing to capture their flags or pass the class. Bubbly Girl had impressive fighting abilities. She managed to dodge one of Tsubasa's powerful kicks and impress everyone by successfully grabbing her flag before he could counter. Being the first of her classmates to grab their flag. Poor Rockhead and Tape tried their hardest, but it was clear that they both still had a long way to go before they could take anyone on quirkless. Everyone expected Candycane and Freckles to do the best, but that turned out not to be the case. Both of their fighting styles relied heavily on their quirks. They had a lot of trouble not using their powers and ended up getting disqualified for intentionally breaking the rules.

Tohru was the last teacher of the class. The students assigned to her were Tail, Big lips, Mask, Ears, Raven, Bakugou, and lastly, Shinsou. Ojiro had martial arts knowledge, but they all incorporated his tail. He had no idea what to do without using it. Downright embarrassing, he couldn't even throw a punch without getting knocked off balance. He failed, obviously.

Big lips and Mask were too slow to keep up with Tohru, let alone touch her. Ears picked a wooden dagger from the cart and was passable when wielding it. She just needed formal training but had potential. Tokoyami was not as skilled with a weapon of choice, a sword. His movements were clumsy and straightforward.

Bakugou had been busy studying Tohru's fighting style, and the timing of her moves carefully as everyone fought her. His crimson eyes watched how she moved, dodged, and of course, how she attacked. Coupling that with the knowledge he accumulated with his fight with her earlier, it was no surprise that he ended up retrieving his flag for her. His attacks were nowhere as fast or as strong without his explosions. However, Bakugou's intellect and tenacity was a force to be reckoned with even without his quirk aiding his endeavors.

Shinsou was also very skilled. Since he didn't typically rely on his quirk to fight, this lesson wasn't much different than the last one. Shinsou seemed well versed in standard ninja techniques because he was able to evade her attacks and anticipate hers. He used a replica of Aizawa's capture weapon to restrain Tohru's arm long enough to capture his flag to secure his victory.

Out of the 21 students in their care, only Uraraka, Shinsou, and Bakugou managed to reclaim their flags from the shinobi. Students who passed regardless of this were Kirishima, Kaminari, Momo, and Jirou. Making a total of 7 students out of 21. One third passed. Two-thirds failed.

Kyo was incredibly disturbed how reliant everyone was to their quirks since, without them, they are defenseless. It was stupid to depend solely on your powers no matter who you were. The trio knew that better than anyone since some worlds they had visited made their abilities utterly worthless. The copper-haired shinobi had conflicting feelings towards the source of his powers. Well versed in the benefits they provided, as well as their weaknesses. Each having a time and place to be utilized. And while not having access to them would be a blow to his fighting capabilities, they didn't make him utterly helpless without them. Judging from the faces of his teammates and Aizawa, they felt the same.

"7 out of 21 passed. Y'all suck," Kyo stated bluntly with his arms crossed. His P.E. clothes were torn and battered beyond repair. He felt like a slight breeze could knock him over with how exhausted he still felt, but his eyes burned with a fiery intensity as he stared down the class of would-be heroes.

"Hey man, we tried our best," Tape answered for the class. A few soot-covered heads nodded in agreement. "Give us a break."

Before one of the teachers could interject, Kyo continued to scold them. "You think that's all that matters?"

The class immediately fell silent.

"It _doesn't_ in case you were wondering," the shinobi answered for them.

Kyo's intense gaze made a few of them break eye contact with him. "You think a villain is just going to spare your life because you_ tried_ your best? No, they're gonna kill you the second they have the opportunity," Kyo stated flatly. Earning him a couple of surprised gasps. Kyo didn't care if he was scaring them. Someone needed to give them all a wake-up call. They needed to understand how vulnerable they were if they suddenly didn't have their quirks.

"You probably think that what we're teaching you doesn't matter. That you just need to do is perform well enough to pass this section, but I'm telling you now. If you don't take this seriously, you will fucking die; and probably sooner rather than later," Kyo urged, hoping to scare them into taking this training seriously if they valued their lives.

Aizawa and his teammates gave him a displeased look, but none made a move to silence him, so he continued. Kyo reached into his pocket, grabbed hold of the wooden dagger hiding within, and tossed it straight at Midoriya. Kyo blew it up a few seconds before it made contact. The green-haired boy didn't even have time to register that something was coming for him. Reacting to the sound of the explosion by his head instead of the_ "deadly"_ weapon hurled at his face.

"Your instincts are shit," Kyo announced when Freckle's confused eyes stared back at him. "If that was a real weapon, you'd be dead right now."

He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. His brother's way of telling him to tone it down while he took over for him. "Not only will we be teaching you how to fight without using your quirks. We'll also be teaching you how to defend against those that don't rely on a fancy quirk to fight," Tsubasa further explained for him. His tone was friendly, but an underlined seriousness still carried the importance of his words.

"By fighting like them, you'll start to notice how they will attack you and be able to better understand their movements~" Tohru continued with a smile. "Your combat instincts will sharpen, and your reaction time will increase exponentially~"

Their words seemed to give the heroes a better understanding of what this training would do for them, but they still missed the bigger picture of its importance.

They'll learn soon enough.

As punishment for the unimpressive skills they exhibited during the quirkless assessment, Class-A were all forced to do martial arts drills for the remainder of the period. Much to everyone's disappointment.

The class soon figured out that mischievous shinobi was a demanding teacher who was not afraid to beat them into shape. After demonstrating the drill once, Kyo would patrol them and deliver a _"light"_ punch to their ribs if they messed up any of the moves up. All the while, the other teachers watched on and provided occasional moral support. All except Aizawa sensei, who seemed to enjoy their pain. The underground hero watched their progress with an unabashed smile on his face.

And so the next hour marked Class A's descent into Hell.

* * *

_**Sorry for the wait. I wanted to make the fight scenes as engaging as possible while still providing information about everyones abilities and where they needed improvement. That's also why this chapter is the longest one so far. I'm still trying to find the right balance of being long enough to cover multiple encounters, but also be fun and engaging. Left me know if you have a chapter length preference. Finally introduced Kyoru into the story, so that will be an adorable element to play with from no on. Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and i hope you continue to keep reading.**_


	7. Food Wars!

**Hello everyone, I have decided to move the lunch scene to the beginning of this chapter so If you already read that you can skip to Bakugou's P.O.V. I'm sorry for the last minute change, I thought the last chapter was a bit long.**

* * *

**_Kyo P. O. V. _**

Twenty-one haggard bodies stumbled from Gym Gamma after the lunch bell finally sounded. Freeing them from their unrelenting training at Kyo's merciless hands. Every student was covered in burns and bruises, which made them look like the survivors of a villain attack. Their rundown appearances, coupled with the half-crazed look in their eyes, frightened the other students. Other departments gave them a wide berth as they entered the cafeteria in search of food. A wise decision since the future heroes had definitely worked up an unholy appetite.

The whole class had towered their trays high with an assortment of food courtesy of Lunch Rush and then proceeded to devour it all in record time. The friendly banter and laughing that usually filled the two cafeteria tables that Class A frequented, was replaced with the sounds of loud chewing. None cared in the least of what passerby's thought. They hadn't lived through the hell they just did.

Kyo and Tohru took a seat between Kaminari and Mina. He worried they might hold his teaching methods against them, but they didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, they seemed used to it. The explosive shinobi absently ate his salmon while he looked over at the class, which slowly began to eat their meals at a respectable rate. Some of them recovered enough strength to engage in little conversations.

Kyo had to commend them for their resolve. Even though most didn't grasp the importance of the training yet, they weren't hopeless by any means. They did put effort into improving themselves and worked diligently to accomplish that feat. And they were incredibly fast learners. Kyo didn't hit them nearly as often as he anticipated he would.

_Maybe, they'll be okay after all._

"Ahhh, much better!" the bubbly girl sighed happily after she finished her sixth bowl of plain white rice. She smiled at them both from across the table. "Nothing like a good meal after a day of training, am I right?" There were some nods and grunts of agreement from her still eating classmates.

"You did a remarkable job with the martial arts drills," Kyo praised in between bites, which surprised some people. "I didn't even need to correct you once."

Her face brightened at the compliment. "Thank you! I interned at Gunhead's dojo earlier this year, so I learned a lot of these moves already," she explained with a bubbly smile.

"That explains how you got the drop on my brother earlier," Kyo smirked, shooting Tsubasa a smug look where he was sitting beside the green-haired boy. He didn't appear to enjoy the teasing but tolerated it. It was the first time Kyo acknowledged his presence willingly for the first time in weeks.

"Well, it looks like we'll have to make the lessons harder for you to make sure you're getting the best out of them," Kyo observed, returning his attention to Uraraka and the rest of the students. There was a chorus of complaints with this announcement.

"Quit your bellyaching. Some of us have real problems to deal with," the shinobi announced, effectively shushing them all into nervous silence.

"What could possibly be troubling you?" Kaminari asked nervously.

"Well, Aizawa-sensei entrusted me to figure something out, but I'm at a loss of what to do to accomplish it," Kyo admitted his cheeks a little pink with embarrassment. His uneasiness immediately got everyone's attention. Before anyone could ask what it was, he pulled something from his pocket and set it on the table. To everyone's disbelief, the item was the average smartphone.

"Aizawa said I have to have one, but I _hate _these kinds of things, let alone have any idea how to use it. Can someone please help me out?!" Kyo whined, banging his head on the table in defeat. He and Modern technology had a mutual hatred of one another.

Everyone blinked at him dumbly, before a familiar angry voice broke the silence. "You've got to be fucking kidding me. You don't know how to use a fucking phone?" Bakugou yelled, slamming his hands on the table. The force of it clattered a number of the tall stacks of plates and bowls violently.

The copper-haired teen lifted his head slightly. "Phones aren't allowed at Binoshi, so I never needed to know how to use one before now," Kyo answered without missing a beat.

_It wasn't a complete lie._

"Why does Aizawa want you to have one?" Midoriya asked.

"Aizawa is acting as our guardian while we attend U.A.~" Tohru answered for him. Her voice was as sweet as always. "He wants to make sure he can get a hold of us at any time, so he gave us each a cellphone. Tsubasa and I have already figured out how to use them, but Kyo has always resented modern technology. But I think it's because he has a tendency of breaking them with his quirk~" she finished the last sentence with a laugh.

Kyo immediately jumped to his feet. "It's not because of my quirk!" he hissed at no one in particular. His hair standing upright a little bit due to his angered state. Making him look like an angry cat. "I just blow up stuff I have no use for!"

Kaminari took pity on him. "Fine, hand me your phone, and I'll try to help you figure it out," sighed the blonde. His hand held out expectantly for the device.

Feeling a glimmer of hope, Kyo placed the phone in his hand. Their fingers grazed each other for a split second, which caused a couple things to happen simultaneously. The motion created static from Kaminari, which set off Kyo's Detonation ability in his hand. This results in a small explosion that, of course, torched Kyo's phone beyond salvaging. There were few moments of shocked silence before the whole table erupted into a fit of laughter at the shinobi's expense. The copper-haired teen sunk back into his seat in utter disbelief.

"Kyo, can I ask you something?" The green-haired boy inquired when everyone calmed down. He sat further down the table and as always was right beside his little brother. The future hero looked nervous, but his matching green eyes sparkled with an overwhelming amount of curiosity.

"Sure thing, Freckles," Kyo urged. He would never dissuade a person's curiosity. Especially when you could learn so much about an individual by the questions they asked. "Ask away."

The boy was momentarily taken aback by the nickname but carried on. "Well, I was wondering why your powers are so different than your brothers. Can you explain why that is?" he asked hesitantly. The area around them quieted down as the question caught the interest of many of their classmates as well.

"Well, it's actually pretty simple," Kyo began, with a genuine smile. In his peripheral vision, he could see his brother shift slightly in his seat. Though everyone's eyes were too busy focused on him to notice. "You see, my brother got his wings from our mother, and my detonation abilities stemmed mostly from our father. He had a dual quirk of fire and lightning. Adding a little of our mother's air manipulation created an unstable amount of conflicting energies, which had to be released somehow. Thus my Detonation quirk was created," Kyo explained for his new classmates.

_It's not a complete lie, but definitely not the whole truth. _

"So that's why my quirks been acting up these past couple days!" Kaminari exclaimed, his hair standing up a little and staticing due to his close proximity to the shinobi. "I thought a thunderstorm was approaching."

_So he hadn't noticed before now, _Kyo thought in bewilderment. _Is he just a complete idiot? _

Pushing the thought aside, the explosive shinobi continued. "Your quirk was probably responding to the electrical traces within mine. It's the sudden discharge of electricity that allows me to detonate my explosions from a distance after all," the copper-haired teen further explained. His crimson eyes carefully studied the levels of curiosity about his abilities in everyone's eyes. So far, it looked like Kaminari, Bakugou and Midoriya were the most involved with his explanation. "Maybe if you learn to master your electric quirk, you could replicate a similar effect by overcharging technology?" Kyo suggested with a laugh.

The blonde looked excited by that prospect. "Really? You think so?" he practically begged, grabbing hold of him. Like Kyo could grant him the ability right then and there.

After freeing himself from his clingy grip, Kyo responded, "I don't see why not. You just need to train hard and use your brain a little." This statement made the blonde deflate. Kaminari sunk into his seat in a sudden onslaught of depression, while his close friends laughed at his expense.

_So he is an idiot, _Kyo concluded.

"This is so unfair!" Kaminari whined with his forehead resting against the table. "Why did I have to get stuck with this difficult to control electric quirk? Why couldn't I have gotten one that's easier to deal with, like Kyo's?"

The shinobi could only blink his eyes in confusion before the tall back haired boy carried on where his friend had left off. "That and your quirk is completely overpowered. Already placing you toward the top of our class. Must be nice," Sero stated bitterly.

Kyo let out an exasperated sigh. He wanted to chastise them for already forgetting what he tried to beat into them earlier about powers not being everything. But decided on a different approach. Maybe, changing their view of what they believed to be an overpowered ability would have more success.

"My quirk's not as overpowered as you think," he admitted, taking some by surprise. "I'm sure you all probably have a vague idea of how my quirk works. Probably thinking something along the lines that anything I touch can detonate if I wish for it?" Kyo summarized. There were a few mumbles of agreement from everyone.

This made him smirk, "Well, you're wrong."

Kyo raised a hand to dissuade them from interrupting. "You were close. It's not that _anything _I touch can detonate. It's that _everything _I touch will detonate. You see, I can't turn my quirk off like most of you can. It's something I've had to deal with ever since my quirk manifested."

"But, that means-" Midoriya mumbled.

"That's right. Everything I touch, every step I take, hell even the air I breathe could be turned into a bomb if I concentrate hard enough," Kyo replied through bites of his food.

The table looked horrified. Students glanced all around them at all the potential bombs that surrounded them. All of which just needed the tiniest of sparks from Kyo to activate them. It was a scary thought when you took a moment to think about it. It was a powerful ability, but one that didn't come without its drawbacks.

"We're friends, right? I'll let you in on a secret," the shinobi offered. "You're all focusing on the potential destructive power of my quirk, but not on its obvious weakness. The fact that I _can't _turn my quirk off is an incredible weakness of itself."

You could practically see all the lightbulbs go off in their heads. "So, your weakness is stamina?" Freckles theorized hesitantly.

Kyo nodded. "Every quirk has a limit. A point where it started to put a strain on the body. For me, I exert energy every time I touch something. So the more object I touch without detonating anything, the quicker I run out of stamina," he explained, while taking another bite of his salmon. "Because I'm constantly using my quirk, I get incredibly tired fairly easily. When I'm fighting, the adrenaline in my body allows me to power through my fatigue, but it's still there in the background. If I slow down for too long, I risk my fatigue catching up to me, which would prevent me from moving or worse falling unconscious."

Bakugou spoke up for the first time. "Earlier, you said, '_touching without detonating,' _made your stamina deplete faster. What does that mean?" he demanded in what Kyo was beginning to understand was the usual _"Bakugou" tone_.

Kyo smirked at the question. "My quirk is called Detonation for a reason. My quirk wants to release the pent up energy radiating off of what I've _"marked" _in a sense," he answered honestly.

The copper-haired teen finished the last of his orange soda and held up the can for everyone to see. He focused his energy on the can, willing it to charge up with his conflicting elemental abilities. The temperature around them steadily began to climb, and while the can started to radiate warmth, it was actually Kyo's body, which emitted the majority of the heat. He handed the can to Bakugou, who studied it for a moment before placing it on the table for someone else to examine.

"As you can feel with the raised temperature, it takes more energy to hold back my quirk than it does to detonate it. While Bakugou might feel the physical recoil of his explosions while they're released, I feel fatigued from the pressure of holding my makeshift bombs from exploding. If I go past my limit, the pressure increases until I either fall unconscious or everything I've touched within the last hour detonates all at once. To combat this, I tend to detonate things I've touched at a harmless caliber or take cat naps to regain stamina," he finished while wiping the sweat from his brow. Kyo then harmlessly detonated the can in Midoriya's hands so that only a hint of smoke was released.

"Does that mean you're always tired when your not fighting?" Midoriya asked, his pencil quickly jotted notes in his singed notebook. The act reminded Kyo of his brother. "I can see how it might get in the way of everyday life."

The shinobi took a moment to ponder the question before answering, "Well, I like to take naps, but I wouldn't say that I'm especially sleepy all the time. If anything, I'm stockpiling stamina for the future. This way, I won't have to worry about it in the event of an emergency." He took another bite of his food, reflecting how he usually felt mugged down if he couldn't release his quirk. Kyo looked at the electric user beside him.

"Yo, Sparky, I assume you also have to release built-up electricity to prevent overcharging?"

"Original nickname dude," Kaminari muttered while crossing his arms. His quirk staticing ever so slightly in his hair, though Kyo wasn't sure if it was because of their close proximity or because of the hero's emotional state. "But to answer your question, yeah, I do. I usually charge people's electronics or shock people for the heck of it."

"Thanks for the warning," Kyo muttered awkwardly. Making a show of scooting closer to Tohru. Silently grateful that he wasn't forced to bunk with him. "My quirk works the same way. If I don't release my quirk, my stamina could get sapped to potentially dangerous levels," he explained, hinting that the energy needed to keep so many bombs took its toll on his body, which could cause him to pass out or die if he pushed himself too far. This also reduced the potential threat of blowing everything up if he totally lost control out of fatigue.

To himself, he added, _Emotions also play a key part with my powers. Honest, pure emotions made them stronger and easier to use, while complicated conflicting emotions made them weak and harder to control. _Generally, Kyo had reliable control over his demonic abilities. The only exceptions being if he were drugged or badly hurt since the pain or being inebriated made it hard to focus. The resulting flurry of conflicting emotions made it difficult for his powers to work effectively.

The table was silent for a moment as they digest everything Kyo revealed to them. Hopefully, starting to understand that quirks weren't as all-powerful as they currently believed. That if you studied them enough, they would reveal a glaring vulnerability you could exploit.

_Come on, get it through your thick skulls. Before you all become Nomu food._

The redheaded Ball-of-Sunshine was the first to recover. And just as fate would have it, said the opposite of what Kyo was hoping to drill into their heads. "Well, Kyo's abilities are manly and all, but I really like Tohru's Transformation Quirk," he announced happily. The rest of the table instantly agreed, which caused Kyo to sigh in defeat. He should have known better. Tohru was too adorable for her own good. No wonder everyone was infatuated with her and her powerful abilities.

"I love Tohru's quirk!"

"It's so strong! So unfair!"

"Did you see how she used it against Momo? I didn't think another quirk could compare with hers!"

"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Midoriya interrupted, flipping through his notebook until he found the right page. "Tohru, I know you gave a brief explanation of how you quirk worked on the first day of class, but could you elaborate on how you transform other objects? Specifically, how you transformed one of your ribbons into sai during class?"

"Oh well...umm...you see…~" she started clumsily. Her face turned a bright shade of red with everyone's attention fixed on her suddenly. Her sapphire eyes jumped from person to person before settling on Kyo's. He offered her a reassuring smile. The simple action gave her enough encouragement to begin her explanation.

Tohru quickly summarized her abilities for their classmates. How her "quirk" allowed her to turn anything in her immediate vicinity into any form she imagined. Meaning she not only needed to have a vivid imagination but ample knowledge of the new forms physiology to keep up its integrity. Similar to how Momo used her creation Quirk. For example, if Tohru were to imagine someone with wings, she would need to know the anatomy of the wings and how large to make them to actually get the person off the ground. The kunoichi would need to understand how the joints moved to become airborne, or the wings would crumble under the weight, resulting in a painfully broken form. Because she required anatomical knowledge to fully make use of her powers, she needed to do extensive research before she could attempt a new transformation safely. To accommodate this, Tohru studied for many years to become a medical ninja.

"As for your earlier question about how I transformed my ribbons into a sai," Tohru started, as she gently untied one of the long ribbons from her hair and held one end of it in her hand while letting the other end dangle in the air. "Your statement was actually backward~."

Just as she had done during class, she gave the ribbon a little flick where it quickly transformed into a silver sai. After watching the action up close, some of the students noticed the difference. The change was quick but not instantaneous as her transformations usually were.

"As some of you just noticed, these ribbons aren't really ribbons after all. I used my quirk to transform my twin sais' into ribbons~" she explained with a smile.

"When you transform us into animals, the animal traits carry over. Does that mean the weapon's qualities carry over as well," Midoriya muttered to himself at lightning speed. It wasn't clear if he actually expected an answer, but Tohru provided one anyway.

"That's correct~" she cheered, clapping her hands cutely. Making some of the girls giggle.

"If I turn and inferior object into a superior object. The transformation has a short time limit before it reverts back to its original form. The transformation is also broken if it takes damage~" Tohru explained. When she fought, she would often turn rocks found on a battlefield into kunai or shuriken to attack unsuspecting enemies. Once these inferior objects made contact, they immediately reverted back into their previous forms.

"However, if I transform a superior form, into an inferior one, the transformation can stay in place almost indefinitely. As is the case with my ribbons. Don't tell sensei, but this allows me to have concealed weapons on my person at all times~."

"You can turn anything into a weapon?" Kaminari asked in disbelief.

"Technically, yes, but it doesn't mean it'll be that effective as one~."

"Uhh.. you lost me," the electric-user admitted sheepishly.

"I'll give you a demonstration," Kyo offered. He grabbed a flimsy piece of spaghetti from Kaminari's plate. Ignoring his complaints. "Tohru, if you would."

"Sure thing~" she replied with a clap of her hands. She gestured toward the noodle in her teammate's hands. In the blink of an eye, there was what appeared to be kunai in Kyo's grip. Without even hesitating, the explosive teen brutally stabbed Kaminari's hand, which rested on the table. A girlish scream escaped the would-be hero until he realized that he felt no pain. Confused, he looked at his hand to find it completely unharmed, and the kunai had already returned to its flimsy form. Though now, it rested on the table in two pieces.

"As you can see, if you turn something into a stronger form than the original, the new form can't hold up for long. The base of its strength stems from its original's integrity, which is why it broke the second it made contact with your skin. It may look sharp and intimidating, but a flimsy noodle can't be used to inflict damage," Kyo explained, flicking the pasta off the table.

"I guess that makes sense," Kaminari mused, rubbing the area he was stabbed to convince himself he was fine. "Even if it has that drawback, Tohru's quirk is still insanely overpowered!" he asserted, followed by more nods of approval. Even Kyo couldn't argue with that assessment.

They all began to talk excitedly about how adorable her quirk was, and it's battle capabilities. All the attention directed at her quickly overwhelmed Tohru, causing her to get flustered by all the praise. This resulted in a pair of cat ears sprouting on top of her head without making any hand movements. This, of course, shocked everyone.

"Hey, I thought you needed to clap your hands to activate your quirk?" Uraraka asked, mimicking the hand gesture Tohru often used.

Tohru shook her head furiously from side to side. Momentarily making herself dizzy from the action. "I clap my hands to focus my attention on my target, but that isn't what activates my quirk. I only need to imagine something for my powers to activate~" she explained a little dizzily.

"The clap is to help me slow down my thinking to help me focus on specific targets safely~."

"Really? That's so cool!" Kiri exclaimed beside the Kunoichi. "I'd love to have a power where I just have to imagine something, and it comes true!"

"No, kidding!" Kaminari agreed. "Hey Tohru, aren't you worried that you might accidentally imagine someone-"

Kyo immediately interrupted the electric user's question by slamming his hands abruptly on the table. Startling everyone and even a few people at different tables.

"Meerkat!" he hissed under his breath, a code word for Tohru to stop listening to their conversation by turning herself into that form, which possessed the ability to turn off their ears at will. A command she obeyed instantly. Satisfied that she was no longer listening, he turned his attention on the sea of confused and concerned faces around him.

"Listen closely, I want you all to never _EVER_ ask Tohru to imagine something dangerous like that ever again," the explosive teen ordered in a low dangerous tone. His menacing eyes stared all of them down, which sent shivers down their spines. All except for Bakugou, who sent his own glare in his direction. "While she's skilled in the use of her quirk, it only takes a split second to accidentally think something that can never be taken back. Tohru goes to great measures to stay positive to avoid thinking about anything dangerous. So do yourselves a favor and don't ask her to imagine anything like that ever again. It's for your own safety. Understand?"

They all shook their heads obediently.

"Good," Kyo muttered back.

He was pleased that they seemed to take his words to heart, but now the mood was awkward between them. This wouldn't help them get closer to the class. They needed a fun distraction. Kyo turned to tap Tohru's shoulder, the signal to inform her that it's safe for her to turn herself back to normal but hesitated for a second. An idea suddenly came to mind.

_That will do nicely,_ he purred to himself.

Much to everyone's surprise, Kyo gave the kunoichi a kiss on the cheek instead. Tohru was caught off guard by the unexpected action. She immediately blushed a deep shade of red, and before anyone could comment, she accidentally turned the entire table into cat hybrids.

That's when all hell broke loose. Everyone started screaming at them, asking if they were dating. Kyo smirked at them while wrapping an arm around the brunette, who was still blushing uncontrollably.

"Of course we are," he announced. His orange tail swished behind him mischievously.

The awkward tension in the air completely forgotten as the class asked about their relationship instead of mulling over how dangerous Tohru's abilities were. Through the chaos, Kyo noticed that Bakugou continued to stare at him with a scrutinizing expression on his face. He alone understood what he had done.

_It looks like nothing gets past him. Whatever, it's nothing I can't handle. Just try me, Hero!_

**_Bakugou P. O. V. _**

Red, orange, and yellow leaves blew lazily in the late November air. The countless UA students bundled themselves tightly within their winter coats to ward off the chilly breeze, as they hastily sought out shelter after the school day had finally come to an end. After the perils they faced during the Heroics and Quikless classes, the rest of Class A's day was very uneventful. Except for the fact that half the class had to spend it as human-cat hybrids because Tohru was too flustered to release the effects of her quirk.

Bakugou wanted the record to show that their female classmates were entirely to blame for this predicament. As soon as it was revealed that Kyo and Tohru were dating, they all but pounced on her like some poor defenseless lamb. Bombarding her with an endless storm of questions. Demanding that she provide in-depth details about their relationship or _"Kyoru" _as the girls nauseatingly decided their ship name would be from that moment on. Bakugou, of course, didn't care. He just wanted to be turned back into something less _fluffy, _but considering that any comment about them dating turned the poor timid girl into an embarrassed incoherent mess. It didn't look like that would be happening anytime soon.

In contrast, Kyo seemed to be enjoying the attention of both the overzealous girls and the insanely jealous boys. Either answering questions in extreme detail or poking fun at them by being incredibly vague. All the while, the orange cat ears, and tail he sported seemed completely natural on him, considering his mischievous personality. The explosive hero had hoped that Kyo would be able to calm his girlfriend down enough to release her quirk's effects, but one look at the fanged smirk on his face killed any hope of that. So instead, Bakugou settled for removing him from her side to separate another distraction for her.

"Come on, Copycat," Bakugou ordered, roughly grabbing onto Kyo's tail and forcefully started dragging him toward the exit. Ignoring the surprised yowl, he let out or the low growls they morphed into. "You too, Hair-for-Brains."

The ash-blonde's right ear flicked in annoyance as he walked back to the dorms in between Kyo and Kirishima. The latter had been a purring mess all day and continued to nuzzle against him thanks to the strong cat instincts that infected their bodies along with the new form. It took all of Bakugou's willpower not to cuddle him back when the redhead was all cute. He envied Kirishima's ability to snuggle him all he wanted without getting any strange looks since Kirishima loved everyone. It wasn't fair. But the frustration Bakugou felt helped him keep up his annoyed appearance. Which was great since his emotions could easily be read through his body language. This quirk couldn't wear off quick enough.

"Oh come on, it's not so bad," the copper-haired teen laughed when he noticed the blonde's annoyed expression. His laughter increased slightly when Bakugou hissed at him through his slightly sharpened teeth. Kyo rolled his eyes at that and started a conversation with Kirishima instead, "I see you've taken to the form. Are you a cat person Kiri?"

The redhead immediately grinned. "I like all sorts of animals, though I'm more of a dog person to be completely honest," he admitted with a soft chuckle. It was true. Kirishima had a real soft spot for animals. He even beat Koda of all people in animal trivia a few times on their weekly game nights. "My back up plan if I don't have what it takes to be a hero is to work at some kind of animal facility."

"It _was _your backup plan," Bakugou corrected harshly. His tail lashed angrily behind him at the redhead's unconscious statement. "I already told you that you _are _going to be a hero, so forget the rest of that crap."

Kirishima blinked in surprise. "Oh yeah, thanks, Bakugou. You know I suck at grammar tenses," he lied behind an anxious smile, which made the ash-blonde's heartache. Bakugou didn't think Kirishima meant to speak in the present tense, but that it slipped out with how lousy he had been feeling lately. Bakugou made a mental note to talk with him later about his growing depression regarding his abilities and qualifications to be a hero. And by _"talk," _he meant to knock some sense into him-literally.

"Ugh, I hate conjugations," Kyo agreed with his tongue sticking out slightly like he had tasted something bitter. He didn't seem to have noticed the awkwardness the redhead had shown a second before, though Bakugou didn't think Kyo would care enough to show it if he had. They were still strangers for the most part, after all. "Especially in our English class."

"I'm surprised you even knew we covered that today with how you slept through half of it," the ash-blonde grunted. Recalling how the copper-haired teen had passed out almost immediately. His body had forced him to take a nap after expending so much of his stamina during training. Armed with a doctor's note that stated Kyo's sudden naps were an unavoidable side-effect of his quirk, Present Mic. couldn't do anything besides waking him up when his snoring disrupted the rest of the class.

A pair of orange cat ears lowered slightly in what Bakugou guessed was a combination of embarrassment and anger. "Yeah, well, excuse me if I find sitting in a class all day extremely boring. It's not my fault that sitting still for long periods puts me to sleep," he retorted defensively. His body was taking up a casual fighting stance in case anyone wanted to fight him further on the topic.

"Whatever," Bakugou muttered, picking up the pace slightly. Kyo wasn't the only one who could benefit from a nap. Bakugou's own stamina was mostly spent after the rigorous day of training, not to mention the energy lost when Recoverygirl forcefully healed his injuries. He couldn't wait to catch a couple hours of sleep on the couch.

_Shit, I forgot that Kyo's sleeping in my room tonight, _he mentally groaned.

However, Bakugou's plan to find a quiet place to sleep were quickly thrown out the window. The second Kirishima opened the door to the dorms for both of the explosive teens they found themselves face to face with an angry Jirou. She was already changed into some casual clothes which consist of a _"Dead Kennedys" _T-shirt and a pair of torn black jeans. Her arms were crossed against her chest, and her dark violet eyes stared daggers at Bakugou.

"Whatever it is, I'm not in the mood," the ash-blonde warned as soon as he saw her. He stifled a yawn as he attempted to walk past her, but she blocked his path fearlessly. "The fuck?!" he asked angrily. Straightening up until he loomed over her threateningly, but she held her ground.

"No way, you need to pay up for earlier," she insisted in a sharp tone.

This confused the blonde, which only served to make him angrier. "Don't tell me this is about your damn headphones. I already told you that I was going to clean them up for you later. You'll get them back tomorrow."

The purple-haired teen shook her head.

"What? No, that's not what this is about," Jirou muttered back impatiently. She took a deep breath before she continued, "You made me lose the bet yesterday, so you need to pay up."

"What are you talking about? Everything happened just like I said it would."

"Yeah, but Todoroki placed a bet about you also getting detention somehow, and last I checked you did end up getting detention with the rest of them due to that stupid stunt you pulled with this Pycho," she finished pointing at Kyo accusingly.

"Hey, I can hear you both, you know!" The copper-haired shinobi yelled beside the blonde but was ultimately ignored.

"That's so cheap, we both know that's not what Icyhot meant. That shouldn't count as a win!" Bakugou protested. His hands were starting to spark to life.

"I tried telling that to Ojiro, but he's siding with Todoroki since his written bet does say _"somehow." _You know what a stickler he is for rules," Jirou sighed in exasperation. Her stance relaxed somewhat now that Bakugou had another target for his rage. "Anyways, I already had to fork over my winnings. Thought I'd give you a heads up."

Kirishima, who had watched the exchange in confusion, decided to contribute to the conversation for the first time. "Well, I understand why losing a bet due to a technicality would be frustrating. But why were you so mad at Bakugou when we arrived?" he asked curiously.

"_Because_," Jirou began, pointing another accusing finger at the ash-blonde in question. "If I lost the bet, Bakugou promised to make my dinners for a whole month."

"No way!" the explosive teen snapped. "There's no way in Hell that I'm doing that over something as stupid as this!"

"I agree," the musician responded, confusing everyone. Effectively shutting down the long list of insults from the ash-blonde before he even began. "Instead, I want you to make my dinners for a week. It's the least you could do," she proposed with a smug grin.

Bakugou frowned while he deliberated his options. He had made a deal with her, and she was willing to lessen his debt because the technicality was unfair. Bakugou also didn't want anyone to ever say that he went back on his word. It would ruin his reputation. The ash-blonde also wanted to continue their shared betting on the stupid shit their class did because it helped improve his deduction skills, which he could use in the future. Bakugou adamantly refused to spend his own money on something so childish, and his arrangement with her helped justify getting himself involved. But mostly, Bakugou wanted to continue to be on good terms with Jirou. They had gotten a lot closer during their band sessions, and she had somehow wormed herself into his friend group through him and Dunceface. Bakugou would never hear the end of it from the rest of his idiots if he did something to chase her off.

_It does seem fair, _the ash-blonde thought begrudgingly to himself. He was just about to accept Jirou's request when CarrotTop spoke up.

"Why don't I cook your meals instead?" Kyo offered out of the blue. The random suggestion caught everyone off guard. "From what I gather, it's kind of my fault you lost the bet. So how about it? I'm a pretty good cook if I do say so myself."

"That's true!~" a sing-song voice agreed behind them. They didn't have to turn to know it was Tohru-they'd be able to pick out her unique cadence from anywhere- but they did so anyway. Sure enough there she was with Uraraka and the rest of the Bakusquad. "He's an amazing cook~" she finished happily with a little clap that turned all their bodies back to normal.

Bakugou breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his cat instincts fade away into nothing. In its place, a sudden wave of competitiveness washed over him with the declaration of Kyo's incredible cooking skills. Before he even realized what he was doing, Bakugou has his fist balled up in the front of Kyo's shirt.

"You and me, compete to see who's food is the best. Right now!" Bakugou ordered sternly, giving the coppered-haired teen in his grasp a good shake.

"You're on!" Kyo smirked after the initial shock wore off.

Kaminari and Sero immediately perk up from where they stood in the dorm doorway. "OMG, it's a Food War!" they both exclaimed at the top of their lungs.

It was a little over a month ago when the Bakusquad was obsessed with the overly competitive cooking show, it even managed to pique Bakugou's interest with the creative recipes. Dishes that their hotheaded friend had actually worked very hard to recreate much to the dorms wonder. It was a blessed time for everyone since even his rejects were terrific. But alas, it wouldn't last. Eventually, they had to stop because the whole class went broke trying to keep Bakugou's _"Purgatory Canteen,"_ in business. It only took three seconds for the rest of the class to gather outside the kitchen after the Bakusquad's excited cry. Everyone hoped to snack on the delicious results.

"We need three judges quick!" Mina announced over the chorus of growling stomachs. Already claiming her place as the announcer for this new class competition. Everyone's hands instantly shot up. Some even pushed others out of the way in their desperate attempt to taste the delicious food they knew was coming. There were no such things as friends when it came to the rare chance of eating Bakugou's cooking. A privilege that rarely extended to those outside of the ash-blonde's exclusive friend group.

"Tohru, do you want to be a judge?" Kiri asked the poor shy girl getting shoved to the back of the group. He held a hand out to her and pulled her to safety beside him.

"No significant others, that's cheating!" Bakugou snarled, only to pause awkwardly when he realized what he just said. No one seemed to notice, though the redhead slowly put his hand down with a pout.

_I'm going to pay for that later…_

"Oh, Tohru!" Kyo began excitedly as if just remembering she was there. He quickly pushed others out of his way to stand beside his girlfriend. The shinobi gently took one of Tohru's hands in his when he made it by her side. "You should compete too! Your cooking is even better than mine," he purred lovingly. It was absolutely sickening.

Bakugou wasn't sure if it was the thought that someone else could compete with him in something he took great pride in, or if he was jealous of the open display of affection Kyo showed to Tohru, but he found himself whirling angrily toward the girl. Dark shadows hid his eyes from view as he towered over her, which earned him a startled yelp. The timid girl curled in on herself to make herself seem smaller. The submissive action from such a formidable adversary ticked him off for reasons he couldn't quite place.

"Ribbons, you're competing too. I'll crush you both under my foot," he declared in his usual threatening tone, but the action was slightly underplayed when he gently dropped an apron from the supply closet in her hands.

She blinked at the light pink material of Uraraka's apron for a moment before meeting his gaze. After a couple of seconds, the confusion melted away, leaving her face bright and cheerful. "Mvto! Uh, I mean, thank you, Bakugou!~" she thanked him in the same accent as the twins. Ribbons then shot him a genuine smile, one that reminded him of Kirishima for a split second.

Bakugou _tsked _at her before he stomped to the kitchen to set up. He didn't trust anyone but BigLips in the kitchen since everyone else was utterly useless. They couldn't even label ingredients right half of the time. All Might help them if Kaminari was on kitchen duty that week. That idiot loved to relabel things as memes.

As Bakugou took ingredients out of the refrigerator and pantry, he heard his redheaded friend congratulate the brunette on being included in the competition. His tone was exceptionally cheerful. Nothing like the downtrodden way he spoke about his qualifications of being a hero not but 20 minutes ago.

_I guess if their presence here made Kiri happy, I could at least try to play nice with them as well, _the ash-blonde muttered to himself.

**_Kirishima P. O. V. _**

After much debating, a couple heated fights and a high stakes game of rock, paper scissors later, it was eventually decided that Jirou should pick the other two judges of the competition. It was only fair since all this came about to determine who would be making her meals for the next week. Her first choice was a no-brainer. It was her closest friend Momo, though Jirou stated it was because she was a good food critic thanks to her prestigious upbringing. Though not even Kiri believed that blatant lie. Jirou's second choice was Tsubasa in an attempt to have fair representation amongst the judges by having one of their new classmates on the panel.

Together they came up with a challenge for the three contestants to follow as they complete their dishes. First, they had an hour to make a dish with the limited ingredients found in their kitchen. Second, they had to plate three identical dishes for each of the judges, which had to be delivered at the same time. Third, they couldn't hinder or aid anyone else in the competition.

"Does everyone understand the rules?" Mina asked the three contestants with one of the karaoke mics. All three of them nodded, their eyes shining with determination. "Then you may begin!" she announced, while Kaminari obnoxiously sounded a sports air horn.

Bakugou and Kyo immediately bolted for the table with all the ingredients, while Tohru followed behind them at a reasonable pace. The ash-blonde quickly snatched most of the chicken, a jar of his premade curry paste, and a few other odds and ends. Kirishima's mouth already watered, knowing that curry was one of Bakugou's best dishes. However, he hoped the ash-blonde remembered that the judges wouldn't be able to handle his usual level of spiciness.

The copper-haired teen, on the other hand, went straight for the whole salmon, a few vegetables, and a bag of rice. _Uh, does he know the fish hasn't been gutted yet? _Kirishima thought to himself from where he stood watching in the kitchen doorway. Before he could voice his concerns, the shinobi slammed the fish down on the counter and began to carve the salmon with impressive precision. Expertly removing the gills, head, fins, tail, and removed the slimy innards in a few swift movements. With a couple more flicks of the knife, he filleted it with ease. However, instead of putting it in a pan to fry it or put it in the oven to bake, Kyo left it on the cutting board and made his way out of the kitchen.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Bakugou yelled after him, pausing with his own cooking. There was a frying pan in one hand and a sharp knife in the other, which made him look even more fearsome than usual.

"Don't worry about it. I just need to do some meal prep is all," Kyo explained vaguely. Casually waving off Bakugou's concerns.

He walked past the crowd of confused students to go out in the courtyard. 21 pairs of curious eyes watched him through the courtyard windows to see him walk up to a tree and immediately start removing branches from it. With a kunai, Kyo quickly began to carve off the outside bark and created a long vertical split down the middle of them before returning inside. Only to walk back outside again with his two large fillets of salmon.

After a few minutes, Kyo managed to secure them to the two long stakes he had made by attaching the fillets vertically within the split he created. The salmon was kept steady by wedging chopsticks he had stolen from the kitchen horizontally within the fissure. The stakes were then planted within the dorm fire pit at a 45-degree angle; to smoke over the fire, Kyo

made by sparking the logs already in the hole with his quirk and fanned them to life. The shinobi then casually strolled back inside to begin one of his sides. Winking at a scowling Bakugou as he did so.

Kirishima noted that while Bakugou looked irritated, he continued to work in silence. No doubt determined to beat the shinobi in his second favorite past time. The redhead watched Bakugou's agile fingers skillfully chop an assortment of peppers and other vegetables for his curry. Judging from the smell wafting from the kitchen, his premade curry paste was already simmering nicely in the wok. The judges were lucky that Bakugou rarely put the spiciest ingredients in his premade sauce since that tended to dull the flavor over time.

An adoring smile spread across Kirishima's face as he watched his favorite person work. It appeared that Bakugou was pulling out all the stops for this dish. He usually didn't bother going to such lengths with his cooking unless it was a special occasion, or he had an especially hard day. Something not even the other members of their friend group knew.

The ash-blonde might complain about cooking for others or try to get out of it whenever he could, but Kirishima knew that he actually enjoyed cooking for people. Bakugou desperately craved for others to acknowledge his accomplishments in everything he did. So if he wasn't getting the praise he needed in his heroics training, Bakugou would cook food for whoever was in the lounge in the hope of gaining some praise from them. His vibrant eyes always brightened when someone said it was delicious even if the scowl on his face said otherwise. After the embarrassing loss, their class suffered today Bakugou needed this win to not only validate himself but his fellow classmates as well.

The sound of something sizzling loudly stole his attention. Kirishima turned his head toward the rapid popping to see Tohru frying something in a pan beside Bakugou. Her tiny frame almost completely hidden behind Bakugou's broad shoulders. Tohru tended to keep to herself, so her quiet presence was easily overshadowed by the two explosive teens crazy antics earlier. Kirishima felt a pang of guilt for momentarily forgetting about his new friend. Still, after seeing her cute little face scrunched up in concentration in such an adorable fashion, those feelings melted away.

_Maybe it was for the best. Tohru tended to get stage fright when people were watching._

The brunette hummed a cheerful song under her breath as she cooked. Her head bobbing ever so slightly to the rhythm every now and then. It was an adorable melody, and Kirishima wished he knew what song it was. He noticed Bakugou give her a few quizzical looks at her odd behavior, but let her be. All the while, Tohru carried on completely oblivious. Too focused on her task to pay any attention to her surroundings. It never ceased to baffle the redhead how different she acted when she wasn't in full battle mode. It was difficult to believe that the adorable girl humming in a frilly pink apron covered in pastel planets was the same person that ran circles around them during class.

_There's a lot more to these guys than I originally thought, _Kirishima mused to himself as he watched the contestants cook for the remainder of the competition.

"And that's time, utensils down!" Mina exclaimed into her karaoke mic after an hour had passed. She held a muted yellow box with the number 800 written on it. The same one she used for the Best Room Competition and reached a hand inside. "Alright, everybody! Without further ado, I will now reveal who will present their dish first in the First-Ever Best Food Dish Competition! Drumroll, please!"

Kirishima did the honors of playing a short drum solo on one of the Guitar Hero drums. A few other students joined in by drumming their hands on their legs or nearby objects. With a small giggle, the pinkette unfolded one of the pieces of paper. "Looks like you're up, Blasty!"

"If I'm going first, then we might as well not even bother judging the rest of these losers because my dish is going to annihilate the competition," Bakugou smirked as he expertly carried six plates from the kitchen.

The wondrous smell of his curry wafting behind him as he pushed his way past the crowd made everyone's stomachs growl. As he passed, Bakugou handed a plate to Mina, Kirishima, and another dish for Kaminari and Sero to share, before he set the remaining plates in front of the three judges. A not so subtle _fuck you _to the rest of the class who hadn't earned a place in Bakugou's small group of friends. The envious muttering heard from the crowd only served to widen Bakugou's smirk as he stared down the judges who sat in a line at one of the tables. His posture was perfectly relaxed as he stood confidently before them.

"Bon appetit, Motherfuckers."

Jirou didn't take much offense to the ash-blonde's words. She had more or less gotten used to his way of speech along time ago, but the other two judges looked less than amused by it. Regardless, they each picked up their utensils and took their first bites. Kirishima followed their example. Taking a moment to blow on a piece of chicken before biting into it hungrily.

A blast of flavor immediately filled his mouth. _This is the best thing I've ever eaten! _He practically moaned.

Bakugou had made a milder version of his Katsu Curry or _"Victory Curry" _as the explosive hero called it. _Bakugou sure loved puns, _Kirishima laughed to himself, knowing full well that was one of the reasons he picked the dish since it played off of Katsuki and his need to triumph over Kyo and Tohru in this competition.

The curry featured a crisp fried chicken cutlet served on a bed of rice and doused in his thick, bright orange curry sauce. Kirishima was delighted to discover that the sauce was reasonably spicy, nowhere near its full potency. Instead of pickled horseradish, Bakugou served thinly chopped green, red, and orange peppers on the side as well as mixing them into the sauce, which enhanced the flavors with each bite. Truly one of the ash-blonde's best dishes thus far. Though if he were completely honest, Kirishima missed the spiciness it usually had. It was designed to feel like you were dying every time you ate it, but you always felt like you could take on the world itself when you survived a plate of Bakugou's Victory Curry.

"OMG, This is amazing!" Mina praised cheerfully, sharing her plate with Uraraka and Tsu. She momentarily handed her plate off to them to continue with her commentary. "What do our judges think? Remember to score the dish from 1-10 after your feedback."

"Your cooking was astounding as always, Bakugou," Yaoyorozu praised wholeheartedly. "The way you've matched the flavors and tailored your dish to the judges was absolutely marvelous. I give it a 10."

"Damn right, it was," the ash-blonde agreed shamelessly.

Jirou rolled her dark violet eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we get that you're full of yourself, Hotshot," sassed the Hearing Hero. She took another bite of her food before she continued with her assessment. "I agree with Momo, you really stepped up your game for this, but I'm only going to give you a 9."

To Bakugou's credit, he didn't explode immediately. He showed excellent character growth by holding his anger back...for 5 seconds before exploding. "WHAT THE HELL EARS?!" He boomed, slamming his hands on the table. The sparks coming off of his palms stained the pretty white tablecloth they decorated the judge's table with dark, grimy scorch marks. His teeth ground together violently as he held back the string of insults he wanted to sling at his friend, but better judgment kept his mouth clamped tightly shut.

"Your food was great, don't get me wrong. It just felt a little _off_ this time around. Call me crazy, but when I eat your curry, I expect to cry my eyes out. It just lacked its usual _Bakugouness_," she explained as nonchalantly as she could, though there was a hint of a smile on her face. Her words were so sweet that it actually brought manly tears to Kirishima's eyes at the realization that someone else noticed the missing element to Bakugou's meal.

Bakugou's expression was unreadable as he studied her face. "_Tsk,_ whatever," he finally replied, crossing his arms defensively. The explosive hero turned toward the final judge. "Well, give me your verdict Birdbrain," Bakugou prompted. A finger tapped one of his crossed arms impatiently.

Tsubasa shifted in his seat. "Your food was excellent, Bakugou," the brunette began with a kind smile. "I see now that you usually prefer to make a spicier curry, but decided to tone it down for our benefit. That explains why you mixed peppers into the sauce as well as place them on the side to ensure everyone can have the level of spiciness they pleased. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to side with Jirou. I prefer a spicier curry, so I'm going to reward you with a score of 9 as well."

The winged student hadn't even finished speaking before Bakugou turned and kicked a nearby chair into oblivion. "I FUCKING TOLD YOU ALL WERE A BUNCH OF WEAKLINGS!" Bakugou shouted at the rest of the class.

While Class A paled at the blonde's terrifying display, Mina laughed it off. "Looks like Blasty earned himself a total score of 28. Now for the next contender!" Mina announced, holding her yellow box to the nearest classmate, who happened to be Todoroki.

The dual quirk user reached into the box unenthusiastically. "Kyo," he stated flatly. Complete and utter disinterest reflected in his bicolored eyes.

"About time!" the copper-haired teen called from somewhere in the kitchen.

A moment later, Kyo reappeared with the three plates for the judges. As well as a long wooden board, he had balanced on top of his head. It was quite an impressive sight to behold, but Iida immediately offered to hold it for him just in case the shinobi tripped to avoid unnecessary messes. Kirishima didn't think that was likely, but the sentiment was sweet nonetheless. Kyo must have felt the same because he allowed the class president to take the board from his head and carry it for him as he set the plates in his hands in front of the judges. After which he took back the board from Iida and placed it on a nearby table.

"My dish is smoked salmon with a huckleberry marinade and a creamy parmesan spinach orzo. Everyone dig in, I made enough for everyone to try."

Intrigued, Kirishima walked over to the other table to grab a small serving of Kyo's food. After the shinobi's bizarre behavior in the courtyard, he and many of their classmates were already curious to try the salmon he prepared. The small paper bowl the food was placed in was warm to the touch. A testament to how hot the food inside still remained. The redhead gave it a couple blows to cool the food off enough to eat. As he did wafts of delicious new scents tickled his nose. This combination of food was entirely new for him, and Kirishima had no idea how the flavors would measure up against his established tastes.

_Were these common foods at Binoshi? _Kirishima wondered absently as he took his first bite.

The first bite was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. The salmon was cooked perfectly, making the fish incredibly tender. The redhead thought the smokiness of the salmon would be overwhelming, but the sweetness of the Huckleberry sauce balanced it out perfectly. It was delightful. And that was impressive considering Kirishima usually didn't like fish. It was the least manly of the meat category. The orzo, however, was a bit much for Kirishima's simple tastes. It was delightfully creamy and subtly cheesy with pieces of spinach mixed in to make it a little healthier. It actually paired very well with smoked salmon, but Kirishima preferred regular white rice over this fancy side. Though that was only his opinion.

Mina, on the other hand, had scarfed her helping of orzo down instantly. "Wow, that rice is the best! What do our judges think of Kyo's meal?"

The vice-president raised her hand to speak first. "Actually, that isn't rice. I believe it to be Orzo, which is a small rice-shaped pasta," Momo gently corrected her friend. She then gently placed her hands on the table in front of her. Careful to keep her elbows off the table since that would be considered bad manners.

"The meal was wonderful, and I agree with Ashido that your side was exquisite. However, I didn't care for the smokiness of the salmon or the barbarous-" she momentarily trailed off before she found a politer way of stating her point, "for the use of force shown to the poor tree in the courtyard. I'm going to have to give your dish a 7."

Kyo stewed in his disappointment silently. The Ball-of-Sunshine half expected to at least feel the room's temperature spike with the activation of his quirk, but nothing happened. The shinobi simply nodded and turned to the next judge.

"Well, I liked it a lot," Jirou praised casually. "I give it a 9."

"What kind of explanation was that?" Kaminari complained on the sidelines.

She shrugged. "Hey, I'm not a food critic. I don't know how flavors are supposed to go together. I just know what I like and what I don't."

"Then why not give it a 10?" Uraraka asked curiously.

"I feel like a perfect score should be saved for the best thing I've ever tasted, and this wasn't it."

"Makes sense," the acid hero agreed. She turned her attention to the final judge. "What do you think of your brother's food?"

On the sidelines, Kirishima overheard Kaminari whisper to Sero, "That's kind of cheating. You know he's going to give his twin brother a great score."

"I give it an 8. The orzo's slightly overdone," the brunette stated bluntly.

"Or not…" Sero snickered under his breath.

That's when Kyo finally lost it. "Well, who asked you!" he roared at his brother. His thunderous voice shook the plates still on the table.

"Well, I am a judge for this competition," Tsubasa reminded, his tone slightly bitter. This only made his brother angrier, which caused him to yell even more. Everyone joked that Kyo was another Bakugou, but his personality always came off as more mischievous than short-tempered. That was until now. Seeing him lose his temper and shout at his twin was like watching Bakugou yell at Deku.

"That gives Kyo a total score of 24, which puts him behind Bakugou's current score of 28 points!" Mina summarized. Her voice was struggling to stay above Kyo's yelling. "Our final contestant will be miss Tohru!~" she announced. Playfully adopting the kunoichi's adorable way of speaking for her intro. The copper-haired shinobi's yelling finally trailed off.

"Coming!~" called a sweet voice from the kitchen. A few seconds later, Tohru was seen exiting the kitchen with a rolling cart. The redhead was immediately relieved to know that she wasn't attempting to carry her meal in a showy manner like the two explosive teens. Especially when he saw that she had prepared some kind of soup. The cart was decorated with a matching tablecloth to the judges' table. On top were three bowls for the judges, a large pot, and a stack of bowls for the rest of the class. Tohru gently set the three bowls in front of the judges before starting to dish up the rest of the class herself.

"My meal might not be as fancy as you're used to, but I hope you enjoy it. This Kitsune Udon is one of my favorite comfort foods~" she explained as she handed a small bowl to Kirishima.

The Udon was everything you would expect from Tohru. It was absolutely adorable. Kitsune Udon was usually a noodle soup with a dashi broth, topped with seasoned fried tofu, narutomaki fish cake, and scallions. Typically, the most pleasing feature was that the fried tofu on top resembled the bright orange coloring of a fox's coat. Tohru, however, took it a step further in her presentation. She cut the tofu into the shape of a fox and added more vegetables, which she cut to resemble flowers. The bright colors were breathtaking, which made the comforting dish even more appealing.

Kirishima wrapped his hands even tighter around the small ceramic bowl. The warmth seeped into his cold fingers pleasantly. With his chopsticks, he regretfully broke a piece off of Tohru's kitsune shaped tofu. Steam immediately wafted from the opening, which made his mouth water.

_Mmmm, this is sooo good! _The redhead thought as he munched on it happily.

Next, he grabbed a few of the noodles. They were thick, spongy, and soaked the broth perfectly. He made quick work of them, and before he knew it, only the broth remained. Kirishima tipped the bowl back, making sure to drink every last drop. The broth was warming him up as it slid down his throat. You could taste and feel all the love she poured into the dish with each sip. A chorus of satisfied sighs filled the room as everyone else finished the udon at the same time as him. The wonderful soup hit the spot on such a cold afternoon.

"So judges, what are your thoughts?" Mina asked, steam still billowing from her mouth.

"Your udon was amazing Tohru. I give it a 9," Jirou praised cheerfully.

Tohru's face brightened, and her sapphire eyes sparkled. "Thank you so much!~" she thanked happily.

"Your food was excellent as always Tohru," Tsubasa announced. "That's a 10 for me."

"Mvto! Thank you!~" she thanked with a bow.

All eyes turned to Momo. It was anyone's guess how she would score. The rich girl had very refined tastes, which often baffled her classmates. Even Bakugou had trouble tailoring to her sometimes since the littlest thing could turn her off to something. Momo didn't tend to like more straightforward dishes since that's not what she was accustomed to growing up.

The Creation Hero took another sip of the broth with her spoon before answering, "Honda-san, I thought your Udon was surprisingly delightful. It could have benefited with more tofu if you're going to remove some for the design. Regardless, I will reward you with 9 points."

"Thank you so much, Yaoyorozu~" the kunoichi replied with a bow. "And please call me Tohru~" she finished with a heartwarming smile. It seemed she had forgiven the vice-president for her comment in Homeroom.

A small blush colored the vice-president's cheeks. "I-I will do my best to honor your request," she stammered quietly.

"That gives Tohru a total score of 28, which means...wait," Mina began suddenly realizing the flaw in her rules. "Bakugou and Tohru are tied. What are we supposed to do now?!"

A massive explosion shook the room. Clattering dishes and utensils on the tables. "Just have them rescore it or get someone else to be the tie-breaking vote for the finalists," Bakugou roared impatiently.

Before anyone could comment on that, a voice behind them stole their attention. "What seems to be the commotion here?" their homeroom teacher asked impatiently from the doorway.

Aizawa had a stack of papers under one arm and his famous yellow sleeping bag under the other. Trailing behind him was little Eri who he must have just been picked up from her school lessons with Mandalay and Kota. Even though Eri was a year older than him, she missed a lot of schooling because of how she was used as a test subject. So it was ultimately decided she would have several lessons a week with the Wild Wild Pusy cats along with Kota to get her caught up to attend public school next year. Having three Pro-heroes keeping her safe also gave Aizawa some peace of mind when she wasn't at UA.

"Someone answer before I lose my patience," the Eraser Hero ordered impatiently.

"Apologies, sensei. We were in the midst of a cooking competition to raise class moral. We will be sure to clean everything up before bed!" Iida immediately explained, saving the rest of the class from their nerves.

"A cooking competition?" Aizawa asked, confused. As far as he knew, only Bakugou and Sato were competent in the kitchen. And no offense to Sato, but he would never challenge the Beast of Class A out of fear of his own safety. The rest of the class couldn't even be trusted to boil water without the sprinklers going off.

The teacher turned his tired eyes to the still fuming blonde. "Someone actually beat you?"

"NO!" Bakugou spat, crossing his arms.

"Well, it ended in a tie between Bakugou and Tohru. We're trying to come up with a tiebreaker right now," Deku corrected apprehensively. Flinching slightly when Bakugou's fiery gaze snapped toward him.

"Just clean up after yourselves and keep the volume to a minimum. I have a lot of grading to do," Aizawa started, heading toward his office. "Someone get Eri something other than Bakugou's curry to eat for dinner."

"Wait, sensei!" Uraraka called after him, causing him to look over his shoulder. "Would you like to be the tie-breaking vote! We promise you'll like it," she finished with a heartwarming smile.

"That's a great idea! Please, Aizawa-sensei!" Mina pleaded, followed by other classmates.

A tiny hand tentatively grabbed hold of his black pants before he could refuse. "Please, it sounds like fun," Eri asked sweetly.

It was all over then. Eri's little plea was the last blow needed to persuade him to join in their shenanigans. He reluctantly allowed Uraraka and Mina to drag him to a table while Eri skipped closely behind him. That was how the Eraser Hero found himself seated at a table with the finalist's dishes placed before him with 25 pairs of eyes staring at him expectedly.

Kirishima wasn't sure Aizawa was the best choice to make the final decision since Eraser Head didn't believe in _food._ He believed in _efficiency. _The redhead recalled the time he had a talk with Aizawa in his office during lunch after the bed wrecking incident. Kirishima had watched his teacher take juice box after juice box from his little minifridge in the corner instead of eating a typical lunch. When the redhead commented on it, Aizawa simply stated that he didn't see the logic in going out of his way to prepare food for himself or ordering food when it took a ridiculous amount of time to do so.

The teacher had then pointed to his juice box, which turned out to really be soylent. A complete liquid meal that contained all the vitamins and nutrients the body needed to survive. It was as healthy and affordable as it was bland. He ordered the drinks in ridiculous quantities at a time and kept them in his mini-fridge for safekeeping. Aizawa had given him one at the end of their meeting. Curious Kirishima took a small sip and immediately threw up in a nearby trash can.

_Tasted like gutter water, _Kirishima grimace to himself, sticking his tongue out with the memory. _Clearly, the work of villains._

All eyes were on their teacher. He didn't need to score them. Aizawa only had to decide which one was better. Everyone held their breath as he started with Bakugou's curry. The Eraser Hero's face was unreadable as he slowly sampled the chicken cutlet, curry sauce, and rice. Without a word, he moved on to Tohru's udon. First, trying the kitsune shaped tofu before moving on to the vegetables, noodles, and broth. He had actually eaten a decent amount of both dishes, but his favorite was apparent when he poured an extra helping of udon and set it in front of Eri, who sat beside him.

"Both meals were delicious, but I'm going to grant the win to Tohru. Both of your skills were equal, but she outshined you in creativity. Presentation is an important factor in everything you do. Don't forget that Bakugou."

Bakugou clenched his fists at his sides but gave a single frustrated nod at his teacher. While the rest of the class congratulated Tohru for her win, Kirishima made his way to his friends' side. "I thought your food was amazing, Bakugou!" the redhead praised. Shooting his grumpy friend with his best grin.

"Whatever," was his only response.

Kirishima's expression fell slightly. Unable to think of something to lift his spirits with after yet another loss at the hands of the shinobi.

"Don't let the loss get you down. Tohru needs a vivid imagination to use her quirk, so that translates to her being super creative in everything she does. Of course, we lost to someone like her," Kyo cut in beside the duo. By his tone, it was clear he was trying to cheer the ash-blonde up. In his hands was a bowl of udon, which he slurped up nonchalantly. "If it makes you feel better, you kicked my ass in the competition, which was the whole point, right?"

That realization managed to make Bakugou's lips twitch upward for a fraction of a second. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered.

"Oh yeah, since neither of you won the competition, does that mean Tohru has to make Jirou's dinners for a week?" Kirishima wondered allowed. "That's not really fair. If I recall, you both forced her to join at the last minute."

"Serves her right for winning then," Bakugou smirked smugly. Like he wasn't trying to win with everything he had.

"I agree, while I like your cooking Tohru, I wouldn't want to force you took cook for me for something these Hotheads decided," Jirou agreed, already helping to clean up the mess they created.

"I don't mind~" the brunette assured. Tohru's hands were stacked high with the empty bowls used for her udon. "I forgot how much I enjoyed cooking for large groups. I had already decided to make dinner for the dorms while I was here if that's alright with everyone~."

"You mean it!" Mina asked, excitedly grabbing onto her arm. "That would be amazing!"

"U-uh, sure. As long as you'd like me to, that is~" Tohru replied. To Jirou, she added, "Just tell me what you'd like for the next week, and I'll make it for everyone. After that, I'll take suggestions from the class~."

"Are you sure, Tohru? Won't that be a lot of work?" Kirishima asked, slightly concerned. They already had so much going on this term, and the shinobi were acting as part-time instructors. He didn't want her to spread herself too thin.

The kunoichi flashed him a bright smile. Her kind eyes sparkled with nothing but joy and affection. "Of course, you can count on me!~" Tohru cheered, bringing one of her hands up to salute her friend. However, the action jostled the tall stack of ceramic bowls in her other hand. She immediately brought her other hand back to the wobbling tower to regain its integrity, but a few dishes had already fallen from the top. Kyo, Bakugou, and Kirishima instantly caught the falling bowls before they could shatter on the ground. Her face turned an impressive shade of red before she mumbled an adorable apology.

"Well, let us know if you need any help, alright," Kirishima replied, taking some of the bowls from her grasp to lighten her load. "Maybe you can manage to make Aizawa eat something besides that nasty soylent he's always slurping down."

The class laughed at that as they all start to clean up the mess they had made from another one of their random contests. Kirishima even managed to wrangle Kyo and Bakugou into help cleaning by making it into a game to see who could put away the most dishes. He had meant it as a joke, but the shinobi had taken him seriously. A few taunts later and the Explosive Hero was joining in as well.

The competition was intense, but Bakugou managed to come out on top. Though Kaminari wondered if Kyo had let him win. Kirishima didn't think so. The copper-haired teen had kept up with Bakugou until he had passed out from pushing his body too far, which secured Bakugou the win.

When the shinobi groggily roused himself 30 minutes later, he was absolutely livid and challenged the ash-blonde to another contest. This nonsense continued for the next hour until Shinsou finally had enough and used his mind control quirk to force them both to sleep. They both slept on the couch that night. And that was how the story of how the two explosive teens became fast friends.

* * *

**Can you tell that I'm excited for the next season of Food Wars! In case you were wondering, Food Wars is just a competitive cooking show like Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen in this world instead of an anime. I didn't think Bakugou would like the absurd renderings of people eating food. Another fun fact, Kyo's meal was the traditional way to cook salmon in the northwest Tribes where I'm currently living. If you couldn't tell, I've done it since I was a kid. So, the Hitsuzen twins will exhibit a lot of tribal knowledge from the language the speak (Mvskoke) to their favorite foods.**

**I apologize if you felt this was a filler chapter. I felt another chapter was needed to establish everyone's personalities and where they fall in the class. The plot will begin moving forward from this point on.**

**Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you continue to keep reading.**


	8. It Started With A Headband

I wanted to start off by apologizing that I had uploaded the wrong document for chapter 7 after editing one part of it. I had accidentally uploaded chapter 2 instead. Thank you for the reader who notified me about this mistake. Everything is fixed now.

* * *

**_Bakugou P. O. V. _**

**_Pant...Pant...Pant…_**

Came Bakugou's labored breathing as he sat cross-legged on the dusty ground in nothing but a tank top and sweatpants. The only light he could see; filtered through the dark fabric tied tightly around his eyes. His abused muscles sore and beginning to cramp up from sitting for so long. The air stale and unreasonably humid, which caused him to sweat profusely. Especially from his head and hands. What he wouldn't give for a drink of water to soothe his barren throat. Despite his best efforts, strands of his sweat-soaked hair clung to his face uncomfortably. The resulting moisture had sealed the crack that he had managed to create underneath his eye when he had been forcibly blindfolded against his will. Effectively darkening his world once more.

Instead of sight, he was forced to rely on his fickle hearing to discern his surroundings. A feat made incredibly tricky due to the ** _thump...thump...thumping _ **of his own steadily increasing heartbeat. A rhythm that echoed painfully in his ears. Bakugou's worsening tinnitus already made the sounds of people moving around him muffled and distorted.

The explosive hero struggled to keep his breath at a reasonable level as fear slowly started to overtake him. Bakugou gritted his teeth around the cloth gag in his mouth to prevent his breath from hitching as his panic continued to rise. The fabric already soaked through from a combination of sweat and saliva. The sweet smell of nitroglycerin making his stomach turn with the thought that a single spark could light his entire body on fire. His hands instinctively pulled at the heavy restraints that clasped his arms tightly behind his back in a combination of anger and desperation. With how tender his wrists felt, he knew they were already heavily bruised.

A hand roughly messed up his hair before disappearing again. Bakugou shook his head violently from side to side to hide the involuntary flinch of his body from the unexpected physical contact. A low growl resonated deep within the ash-blonde's throat as he tried to act fearsome to hide the fact that he was on the verge of succumbing to his own anxieties. His violently trembling hands fumbled to unlock the cuffs with the lock pick he had hidden in his combat boots.

As Bakugou attempted to unlock his shackles, memories of every time he had ever been restrained against his will played through his mind. How he was almost smothered by the sludge villain, getting chained up at the Sports Festival, being shoved into a capsule, Dabi's chokehold as he pulled him back through the warp gate, being chained to yet another chair and waterboarded by that compress villain for three days straight. Bakugou's thoughts started to go fuzzy then. The continuous wave of coldness that had washed over his body had steadily overwhelmed his senses. His head slowly began to lull backward as he became lightheaded from his irregular breathing.

_I can't breathe…, _the ash-blonde thought drowsily.

._.. I… can't…_

**_... click … _**

The sound of his restraints unlocking snapped him back to reality. Giving his mind one moment of clarity. Without hesitating, Bakugou immediately tore the cuffs off of his wrist with a ferocious yell. Once his hands were free, he jumped to his feet while ripping the blindfold and gag from his face. His body instantly falling into his usual fighting stance after quickly wiping the excess sweat from his palms. Sparks already flickering to life across his palms, ready to take anyone on. The blinding light only a momentary inconvenience to him.

"Come at me!" the explosive teen challenged to no one in particular.

Bakugou felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Still blinded, he acted out of reflex. He grabbed hold of the hand and twisted it painfully back to subdue his foe. Then in one fluid movement, slammed them into the nearby wall. Successfully pinning them painfully against it with his body weight.

"Dude, I surrender!" a familiar voice cried.

With a scow, Bakugou blinked the rest of the light out of his eyes to see Kaminari pinned within his grip. _That's right. I'm in class right now... _Bakugou recalled absently.

His crimson eyes scanned the rest of the room. Ignoring the squirming form of his friend pinned underneath him. The majority of Class-A was still sitting on the ground in small groups. Trying their best to escape from various different restraints. All of them stripped down to the barest forms of their P.E. clothing while Kyo and Todoroki used their quirks to simulate extreme temperatures for them to endure as they completed the difficult task at hand.

_That explains why it's so god damn hot,' _The ash-blonde thought, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

_Shit, half the class is already free… _Bakugou realized glumly after a brief headcount. Pushing himself off of Kaminari. _Did they notice my panic attack? No, it doesn't look like it._

The electric user breathed a sigh of relief as he assessed the minimal damage to his shoulder by rotating it slowly. "Damn dude, I didn't think you would've known it was me who ruffled your hair. What gave me away?"

"Everyone else is still handcuffed moron," Bakugou lied half-heartedly. The truth was that he hadn't known. The triggering experience had made him momentarily forget that he was doing a quirkless activity due to his panic attack. The explosive hero had just acted on instinct by attacking the first person who touched him. Bakugou didn't want to think about what could have happened if he hadn't snapped out of it when he did.

"Tell Aizawa I went to get some water," the ash-blonde called to his friend as he made his way out of the gym for some fresh air. He needed a few seconds to compose himself away from the ever prying eyes of his peers.

Bakugou flipped Kyo off as he passed; his way of letting Carrottop know he'd be right back before disappearing through the double doors. It had been three weeks since the shinobi joined their class. Meaning this was their third week of training them in these quirkless activities. The first week had been a Quirkless Assessment, the second week had been an Introduction to Weapon Training, and this week was Escape Tactics. Everything from learning to break free from all forms of restraints such as handcuffs, ropes, chains, gags, cells, etc. Bakugou recalled how Kyo had mentioned they would eventually learn to fight while restrained and chained to one another.

Bakugou stopped in the middle of the hall. Resting his damp back against the cold white walls to catch his breath. _I can't think of anything more annoying, _he thought glumly to himself. Wondering if his mind might eventually snap under the pressure of reliving one of his most traumatic experiences repeatedly. In front of his classmates no less. His left hand slowly gripped his right arm, which refused to stop shaking even now.

**_Flashback_**

"Today, we're going to be working on how to escape from these," Kyo announced, holding up a pair of handcuffs. They were nothing too complicated. Just your average handcuffs, not even the kind used to restrain the worst of villains. But even so, the sight of them made Bakugou's blood run cold.

"Piece of cake!"

"Sounds fun!"

Someone playfully elbowed his side, which made Bakugou jump slightly, not that they noticed. "This should be extremely easy for you, Bakugou. You've already seen these up close and personal at the Sports Festival," Kaminari joked beside him.

"Nah, I bet he's used to it by now," Sero teased back before he could respond.

This earned a bunch of laughter from the class, but for once, Bakugou remained silent. Not trusting his voice to stay level with how fast his heart was racing. The only thing that kept him from throwing up his lunch was the fact that Kiri had stayed beside him as they were broken up into groups to learn escape measures from one of the three shinobi. Thankfully, they'd been assigned to Ribbons, who was the kindest instructor of all. It wasn't until Kirishima had to leave to run an errand for Aizawa that he'd started to have a mental breakdown.

**_End of Flashback_**

Bakugou punched the wall he was leaning against in frustration. The action breaking him out of his thoughts. He loathed how weak he felt. 

_I can't even get my hands bound together without losing my shit! What kind of hero lets memories mess with their head like that? What the actual fuck! _

He finished by punching the wall a second time. The anger behind the blow actually managed to crack it. The comforting pain that tingled up his arm, finally steadying his hand. With his nerves calmed, Bakugou quickly grabbed a drink of water from the fountain before heading back to class.

Even though the explosive hero had befriended Kyo and Tohru over the last couple of weeks, it took some time getting used to seeing them as part-time instructors. However, their skills more than proved their competence as teachers. Class A had their Heroics and Quirkless classes twice a week, with the quirkless course happening immediately after Heroics Training. This was done intentionally to wear them out. This meant that the class would have to take their stamina into consideration when they fought in the first class. Forcing them to establish an energy cap for themselves to represent how much energy they were allowed to expend for each category. They also couldn't allow themselves to conserve too much energy at the expense of their overall progress suffering as a result. It really pushed them all to their limits. Plus ultra indeed.

The 80 minutes of Quirkless Training was broken up into 3 parts. The first 15 minutes were dedicated to Kyo training them in martial arts and weaponry skills. The next 45 minutes of class was a themed class, which was taught by a different shinobi each week. At the beginning was a mock fight between a shinobi and another student to highlight areas for improvement or to teach a new technique. In the last 20 minutes, the class would break into three groups to get specialized training under the supervision of either Kyo, Tohru, or Tsubasa while Aizawa offered support here and there.

Bakugou was assigned to Kyo's group along with Mina, Uraraka, Kaminari, Jiro, Tokoyami, and Shinsou. Those in his group were competent fighters already, so they mostly worked on advanced martial arts, weapon training, and anything Kyo thought they needed to improve on. The ash-blonde wished Kirishima was in his group. Unfortunately, he was assigned to Tohru's group along with Aoyama, Koda, Shoji, Hagakure, Deku, and Momo, who needed to work on agility and intermediate martial arts. Tsubasa was left teaching Asui, Iida, Ojiro, Sato, Sero, Todoroki, and Mineta, who need to build up strength and hon in on their individual fighting styles.

For the most part, Bakugou was glad he was assigned to Kyo's group. The Copycat was a pain in the ass, teasing him nonstop, but he was a great instructor. His brand of teaching was hands-on, and the shinobi wasn't afraid to beat them up if they got anything wrong. Bakugou respected that the copper-haired teen didn't sugarcoat anything or hold their hand during training. Preferring that they figured everything out for themselves. This meant that when they did do something right for the first time, it was ingrained into their very being. After each lesson, Kyo would give clear instructions to what each person needed to improve on. Each day, Bakugou came back to the dorms covered in bruises, but with each one, he knew he was getting stronger and stronger.

The Explosive Hero felt more like himself when he slammed the double doors open again. Casually strolling over to his group with his hands in his pockets just as they started gathering around their part-time instructor. Bakugou gave a brief nod to Kirishima, who waved excitedly at him from across the gymnasium.

"Nice of you to join us," Kyo chided as the hero came to stand in between Uraraka and Jirou.

Bakugou removed a hand from his pockets to flip him off again. Not caring if Aizawa saw or not. The shinobi remained silent on the matter. He only rolled his eyes at him before continuing with his lesson. "Starting today, we're going to require those that are lacking strength or speed to wear these on your arms or legs during school hours to bulk up," Kyo announced, pulling up the same compressed weights that the teachers wore during their final exams, from a box at his feet.

He strapped a pair to both his arms and legs before continuing, "Needless to say, if you lack both or want a harder workout, you'll have to wear both. Their approximately 20 pounds each right now, but we'll be increasing the weight gradually over time."

"You've got to be kidding," Kaminari and Mina moaned pathetically.

"Nope," Kyo replied, dropping a pair of weights into each of their hands. "Hurry up and get strapped up. We're going for a run," he finished with an evil grin.

A chorus of moans sounded as they all begrudgingly started strapping the weights to either their arms or legs. Bakugou, never wanting to lose to anyone, strapped the weights to all his limbs.

_The extra weight wasn't too unmanageable, _Bakugou determined after taking a few testing steps. He'd gladly double the weight than get handcuffed again. At least with these, he could still fight and move freely. This was a breeze compared to the nightmare he endured earlier.

Once everyone had strapped them in place, Kyo led them for a run across campus. His quirk detonating every so often to scare anyone falling behind to speed up. The sound of Carrottop's chaotic laughing and Bakugou's competitive yelling as he pushed himself to keep up echoed behind them as they ran.

**_Kirishima P. O. V. _**

Class A enjoyed the warmth and comfort their second home provided as they relaxed in each other's company. The dorms protected them from the dark, frigid Mid-December air. A lot had happened these past few weeks. They had all made great strides in both their Heroics and Quirkless training, which seemed to make them all stronger if Kirishima's sore muscles were anything to go by.

Bakugou and Todoroki had also managed to pass their Remedial Classes to join the rest of the class as full-fledged heroes. Kyo and Tohru had cooked them both a feast of their favorite foods to the entire dorm's delight. While Bakugou complained the whole time, Kirishima had caught him going back for thirds when he thought no one was paying attention.

The new students had melded into their class rather easily. It had only been three weeks since they transferred to UA, but it was hard to imagine the class without them. Kyo and Tohru, especially. They both had been adopted into the Bakusquad almost instantly. Though every now and then, Tohru and Mina would be kidnapped by the rest of the girls. The class already picking up their habits and schedules.

The most colorful of the shinobi was mischievous, impatient, extremely competitive, and prone to yelling, but he also had a quieter gentler side to him. If Kyo wasn't with Tohru or the other members of Bakugou's entourage, you could find him drawing or napping on the roof or in the big Cherry Blossom tree out front. High places seemed to put him at ease, but it was a wonder how he never fell, considering he always had an arm or leg dangling while he slept.

After discovering the explosive shinobi wasn't nearly as prickly as Bakugou, the class learned they could persuade Kyo to do almost anything if they turned it into a competition. If that didn't work, a food bribe usually did. And when all else fails, you ask Tohru to get him to do it. That boy was absolute putty in her hands. For how confidently he carried himself, he blushed brightly whenever she asked him to do anything. Kirishima noticed that a subtle blush also colored his cheeks when he started talking about something he enjoyed, like martial arts. His crimson eyes sparkling with childlike wonder, though he blushed even harder when he caught himself nerding out in front of people.

Tohru, on the other hand, had a heart of pure gold. She found beauty in everything around her and loved all living things. One day Koda came downstairs with tears streaming down his face, and his pet rabbit cradled in his arms. His bunny had sprained its foot doing a series of jumps. Tohru had gently taken the poor creature from his arms and calmly showed Koda how to care for the injury. A few minutes later, the bunny was as good as new. Afterward, Tohru added animal medicine to his training regimen to better care for the animals under his control.

Her presence was a welcomed addition to the class. She quickly became the mother figure of the dorms by keeping them all well fed with her love of cooking and baking. True to her word, she prepared dinner for everyone every night, often taking people's requests and accommodating people's dietary needs. Even concocting a terrifyingly spicy smoothie for Bakugou before every morning workout. No one knew how she managed to do so with everything else going on in their lives, but she carried out her duties with a blinding smile on her face. Instantly winning the hearts of every class member. Everyone stepped up to make sure she didn't have to do the dishes or deliver meals to Aizawa sensei for her in an effort to lighten her load. All Might help the poor soul that ever tried to stand against her. They would not only have to answer to Kyo, but her 21 adopted children as well.

Tsubasa was definitely the most mature of the shinobi. Often stepping in to be the voice of reason whenever his brother became overzealous in class or in social situations. Unlike his brother, the wind-user was more of an introvert, preferring to socialize in small groups. He tended to hang out with Shinsou and Deku a lot but also enjoyed reading in the shared space. Tsubasa had swiftly read through Midoriya's collection of quirk notebooks during his first week. It was a common sight to see him and Midoriya discussing them at length over a cup of tea. The wind-user was very kind, patient and soft-spoken, not one to rock the boat but would be happy to help whenever he could. Often demonstrating moves taught in class if someone asked. Even going so far as to slow the movement down to better understand it.

After a vigorous workout during a quirk activity, Tsubasa had given one of his discarded feathers to Momo after she expressed an interest in them. Delighted, she had made a display case for it, which rested on the desk in her room. He also seemed to have a soft spot for children as well. Kirishima had seen him giving rides to Eri when she asked him what flying was like. An experience she still cheerfully talked about weeks later.

Shinsou and Eri were also made great strides in finding their place within their class. It took some time for the Indigo-haired teen to let go of his big brother role. Tending to stay close to Eri's side to make sure she was comfortable in this new chaotic environment, but as time passed and she grew more and more confident, he started to branch off as well. It was clear that everyone was committed to making her time here as pleasant as it could be. Even Bakugou kept his explosions to a minimum when he knew she was in the building. She spent a lot of her time with Midoriya's friend group or being Tohru's little helper in the kitchen. Though every now and then, laughter from the Bakusquad would pique her curiosity. She would nestle herself on top of Kirishima or Tohru's lap and watch the chaos ensue in the safety of their arms.

_Yep, everything's going great, _Kirishima reflected to himself.

The redhead gave his arms a good stretch before sinking back into the couch. His group of friends currently hogged the common room. Like usual, they had claimed the coveted big screen T.V. Momo had purchased for the dorms shortly after moving in.

The rest of his friends were playing a heated game of Mario Kart instead of studying for the quiz they had the next day. Other classmates watched on in amusement as they did their homework or studied, like the good students they were. It went without saying that Bakugou was in first place while Mina and Kaminari fought for second. Kyo, however, was dead last. And he was absolutely pissed about it. A long string of curses flowed from his mouth like Bakugou himself. Iida had lectured the shinobi about it after his fifth loss, so he switched to cursing in another language. One not even Sero could find on Google Translate.

"Hiskv welvnwv! Cvyayvketv Hiskv! Este-nekricv yolketv! Hosaklv vhakv' mvnicv yvhiketv! Sparky Hiskv yolketv hvswv!" Kyo spat angrily as he fell off of the rainbow road for the hundredth time. His unique accent thick and entrancing as he sounded out the long foreign words rapidly in succession. Strands of his bright orange hair started to rise slightly in his aggravation of losing another game of Mario Kart. The ash-blonde snickered smugly at his expense from where he laid on the couch with his feet perched up on the arm.

The redhead felt bad for Kyo. The shinobi wasn't kidding when he said that he was terrible at technology. He usually wanted nothing to do with it. But when Bakugou or anyone in the Bakusquad was annoyed with his mischievous nature, they would challenge him to a videogame knowing his competitive spirit couldn't turn it down. Which was unfortunate for Kyo because he lost terribly every single time.

What pissed Bakugou off this time? The copper-haired teen had detonated the ground in front of Bakugou, which caused him to trip and lose their race to the dorms. Humiliate Bakugou, and you had to be prepared to suffer the same fate. An eye for an eye as they say. However, Kyo had only done that because Bakugou had knowingly eaten the last of the salmon onigiri in the cafeteria. Kyo's absolute favorite food. Thus, the cycle continued once more.

Irritated, the explosive shinobi threw himself at his equally volatile friend. The usual ending to one of their childish competitions. However, Bakugou expected that reaction and pulled Kaminari in front of him. Shamelessly using the electric-user as a shield. The two boys collided, resulting in a small static explosion from the contact of their conflicting abilities. The displaced energy forced them to the ground. But Kyo wasn't going down without a fight. At the last second, he managed to hook his leg around Bakugou's to pull him to the floor with them.

"You fucking-" Bakugou began to curse before he crashed into the ground along with them.

"Dogpile!" Mina squealed as she and Sero join the impromptu wrestling match.

"Count me in!" Kiri laughed as he rolled up one of his sleeves in preparation for joining in on the fun. All of them squirmed on the ground in a weird collection of arms and legs as they worked to pin the two hotheads to the floor. Their infectious laughter rapidly spread throughout the rest of the common room as students abandoned their studies to watch them take on the untamable beasts of their class.

"GET THE FUCK OFF!" they both yelled ferociously. Two pairs of crimson eyes staring daggers at their idiotic opponents.

After much fighting and copious amounts of Sero's tape later, they finally managed to secure them both to the floor. Promising to let them go once they cooled off. Leaving them to bicker with one another as Tohru called to tell them that dinner was ready. The redhead shot one last concerned look at them over his shoulder as Mina dragged him off to get a plate of food.

If Kirishima and Tohru acted like brother and sister. Than Bakugou and Kyo bickered like brothers. Insanely similar and always lumped together. They seemed to behave more like brothers than the twins did. His scarlet eyes glanced over to where Tsubasa was busy studying with Midoriya and Iida. Kirishima couldn't help but notice that for twins, Kyo and Tsubasa didn't spend a lot of time together outside of instructing. Only ever talking with each other when others were around.

_I wonder why that is, _he mused to himself.

"The fated fallout between brothers," Uraraka narrated beside him, mirroring his thoughts. Her sudden appearance startling the redhead.

"Oh, hey there, Uraraka," Kirishima greeted nervously.

"The Hitsuzen twins turned enemies," she continued cinematically, ignoring his greeting.

"I wouldn't go that far. They're just not that close."

"Hmm, maybe, but they hardly talk to one another. The twins must have had some kind of falling out because all three of them are tight-lipped about it," Uraraka theorized with a finger resting cutely on her chin.

_A falling out? _Kirishima repeated to himself. The thought stirred the memory of a conversation he overheard with Bakugou that first week:

_"Didn't you learn your lesson yesterday? You should be taking it easy," Tsubasa cautioned, his voice a little bitter. Nothing like the polite, friendly way he usually spoke. He had been walking a couple of feet behind his brother, trying to get his attention. He reached a tentative hand out toward Kyo._

_"I'm fine," Kyo answered curtly. Shrugging off the hand, his brother tried to place on him. He had quickened his pace slightly as a result. "If you're waiting for me to thank you. You can forget it. I didn't need to be saved like this..." _

"Are you alright?" The bubbly girl asked, breaking through his thoughts. Concern rang clearly in her voice.

The redhead hadn't realized that he had been frowning. "Yeah, I'm alright," he replied, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sure they just need some time to work through their problems is all. We should honor their privacy and let them work it out for themselves for now," he urged with a reassuring smile.

"Alright, if you say so," Uraraka agreed hesitantly. Giving him a comforting pat on the shoulder before joining her friends.

"Yeah, it can't be anything too serious," Kirishima whispered under his breath. He absently fixed a plate of food not only for himself but for Bakugou as well. Though as the words left his mouth, he wasn't sure if he was still trying to convince Uraraka or himself.

**_Aizawa P. O. V. _**

The underground hero casually observed his student's wrestling match as he graded papers in the shared space. His presence in the dorms became an increasingly familiar sight with the threat of another attack looming over him. He had to get these assignments graded soon with final exams coming up. Every now and then, Aizawa took a moment to enjoy the kunoichi's cooking instead of the bland soylent meals he had grown accustomed to over the years. It was a nice change if he was candid with himself. Beside him sat his adoptive daughter Eri, who appeared to have more fun coloring than eating the vegetables left untouched on her plate. The hero knew he should probably scold her, but like most of the class shenanigans, had opted to ignore it if it didn't prove to be life-threatening.

"I see Class-A is up to their usual hijinks," a familiar voice beamed loudly.

Aizawa looked up from his grading to see the smiling face of All Might before him. He willed his tired eyes to remain neutral, but it was difficult. It still felt weird to see the retired hero's deflated form with their students around. "Are they? I hadn't noticed," he replied with disinterest while he took another leisurely sip of his coffee.

"Um, young Bakugou and Hitsuzen appear to be taped to the floor," commented the previous Symbol of Peace.

The shaggy-haired teacher briefly glanced in their direction. Taking in the scene of the two explosive boys fuming under an exorbitant amount of tape as Sero and Kaminari fearlessly ate their dinner while sitting on top of them. A fretting Kirishima and Tohru tried their best to diffuse the situation before the whole building went up in a flashy devastating explosion. All the while, Ashido recorded the entire thing on her phone. No doubt planning to upload the video to their problematic social media page. 

_I really need to get them to delete that account, _the exhausted hero thought for the hundredth time.

"Huh, I guess they are," yawned Eraser Head, before continuing with his grading. Managing to complete a few pages in annoyed silence, as All Might continued to stand awkwardly above him.

"Do you need anything?" Aizawa finally asked impatiently. His hand begrudgingly motioned to the chair across from him to get the retired hero from looming over him.

The deflated hero immediately took a seat. He had always been too polite to sit down without being offered. "Yes, actually. I wanted to check-in with you about your new students," he confessed quietly. His tone was friendly but low enough that any nearby students couldn't casually overhear. "Are they getting along with everyone? Are they adjusting well to _Hero _life?"

_Hero life, huh? _That statement alone made it clear to Aizawa that All Might was really prying for information regarding the shinobi's placement within the hero course.

Understandable really. Aizawa had been getting quizzical looks from nearly everyone from the school. No one besides Principal Nezu had the slightest idea of their real identities or the true purpose they served after all. And Aizawa planned to keep it that way.

The raven-haired man marked another question wrong off of Ashido's homework. The paper was more red than white at that point. "Don't let that little skirmish fool you. Everyone is getting along fine enough," he assured truthfully.

Aizawa was more than pleased to see how well the shinobi interacted with his students. Each of them found homes within the most influential groups of his class. All of them took their mission seriously. They had exceeded his expectations by finding creative ways to help sharpen the students' skills in and outside of the classroom. He had worried that Kyo would be the most troublesome, but despite his cocky attitude, he seemed to be the most dedicated to seeing them improve. Often hosting training sessions outside of class or introducing games cleverly disguised as deduction and reflex training. Because of this, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Ashido's practical performances had skyrocketed over the past few weeks.

The statement made the retired hero smile. "I'm glad to hear it. I was worried when I heard Present Mic. say that the oldest Hitsuzen had a habit of falling asleep in class."

"It's nothing more than a side-effect of his quirk. Recovery Girl has a copy of all their medical records if he wants to check for himself," Aizawa replied nonchalantly. Placing Ashido's graded homework on the pile. His answer wasn't a complete lie. Kyo's spontaneous naps _were _a side-effect of his powers, though Aizawa didn't disclose the fact that he had personally forged those medical records for him. Besides regaining lost stamina, those naps also helped to speed up his advanced healing abilities. Aizawa had a sneaking suspicion that his previous injuries were still acting up.

"I'm glad to hear it!" laughed the blonde. Accepting the cup of tea, Tohru poured for him. She also topped off the eraser hero's cup of coffee. Her hand patting Eri's head gently before she disappeared into the kitchen again. "I wouldn't want it to get in the way of his studies."

"Neither would I," Aizawa responded cooly. It was a delicate game he was playing with the retired hero. To provide enough information about the trio without exposing the underlying secrets, half-truths, and outright lies hidden underneath the surface. All Might was obviously phishing for information. Trying to discern the underground hero's motives and intentions of bringing shinobi into a school for heroes. Subtleness had never been as a skill the Symbol of Peace possessed, but it was one Aizawa excelled in.

The blonde took a sip of tea. "Do you mind telling me more about them? With my retirement, I haven't had the chance to get to know them as well as I would have liked," the retired hero asked politely. Aizawa could tell from his voice that he not only wanted to know that his students were in good hands, but that he was also genuinely curious. So Eraser Head decided to humor him.

"That troublesome child taped to the floor is as ill-tempered, arrogant and hot-headed as one would imagine him to be," Aizawa began, nodding in the direction of the ruckus across the room. Though his tone softened a degree when he continued speaking. "Though I doubt you'll find anyone more passionate or dedicated to improving their fighting style than he is."

This piqued the blonde's interest. "Surely, you're giving young Hitsuzen too much credit. It's hard to believe he' working harder than any of the other students. Young Mid- I mean everyone has been very dedicated to becoming stronger," All Might corrected clumsily. It never ceased to amaze Aizawa how obvious he was when it came to his favoritism for the freckled boy.

_Always so nosy when it came to other people's secrets but was so tight-lipped with his own, _grumbled the underground hero. What the retired hero didn't understand was that Aizawa wasn't over-exaggerating the teen's abilities. In fact, the raven-haired man envied the explosive shinobi's drive. Kyo spent the majority of his time training in one way or another.

"Unlike you, I don't play favorites. Objectively speaking, that boy _is _putting more effort in than the rest of the class," the Eraser Hero assured sternly. His charcoal gaze moved to stare into his colleague's blue eyes.

"Let me walk you through a typical week for him. He goes on a morning run every day before school starts, participates in the Heroics training, and co-teaches the Quirkless class twice a week. He hosts bonus training with his assigned students at least once a week outside of class and instructs a girls-only class every Saturday," he finished with a drawn-out sip of his coffee. He had left out the part of him doing an extensive investigation to find the UA traitor or how he took a few moments to show Eri a few defensive moves when he could find the time. Though Aizawa hoped she'd never had to use them.

"Despite mastering numerous martial arts forms and weaponry skills-with an emphasis on kunai, double-chain whips, and staffed weapons. Kyo continues to train tirelessly to improve all areas of his fighting style diligently, as well as incorporate new styles to his regimen to become the best fighter he can be," Aizawa continued in a neutral tone. Setting another graded paper on the stack in front of him. "I'm not dismissing the hard work or the growth of our students. But I've only seen Kyo's level of dedication from Midoriya and Bakugou. Both of which haven't been training nearly as long or are competent enough to teach complex moves to others yet."

The raven-haired man set his mug down with a soft thump. "For as over the top as he is, Kyo is a remarkable teacher. Demonstrating a talent for analyzing a person's abilities and teaching a fighting style that would suit them perfectly while taking their current skill level into consideration," the scruffy teacher stated thoughtfully.

Aizawa only wished the troublesome shinobi dialed back his obsession with bringing weapons to class. It had gotten really old, very fast. It didn't even matter that the underground hero performed strip searches on him every single day. Kyo had expertly hidden his ungodly arsenal everywhere, also managed to conceal them on other classmates unbeknownst to them. Most of this was for show, however. It gave Aizawa an excuse to give him detention, which they would use as a cover to exchange information on their real mission. The shinobi also left hidden messages inside the weapons; he dropped into the overflowing weapon bin before each and every class. Despite this, Aizawa let him get away with more than he should because he saw the twin's mother in his antics. Lost in thought, he hadn't realized that a small smile had broken through his composure.

"Now who's playing favorites," All Might teased after a thoughtful pause.

This made Aizawa's eye twitch angrily, and the smile left the other hero's face as fast as it had appeared. Terrified, the deflated hero quickly changed the subject. "Tell me about the other Hitsuzen twin?" he asked with a smile. Aizawa's first explanation began to wash away the older hero's doubts.

The younger Hitsuzen twin, in contrast, was a gentle, kind-hearted and patient soul who looked out for others. "Tsubasa is an excellent fighter that can quickly gauge a person's abilities by analyzing their movements. He mainly relies on strong kicks to increase his reach while keeping the rest of himself out of harm's way. He's shown great creativity in class by using improvised weapons and shields found within his environment," Aizawa summarized in between grading papers. Choosing to call them by their first names to make distinguishing the twins simpler.

His red pen circled a wrong answer on Asui's paper. Aizawa took the time jot down a helpful note down before continuing, "Mostly reserved, he hardly ever brings himself to attack first. Even during their demonstrations. Always allowing others the chance to harm him before attacking. However, it's a mistake to think his in-action stems from fear. The boy frequently attacks the second an opponent takes their eyes off of him. Disappearing from view at blinding speed only to reappear right in front of them with his foot held centimeters in front of their face," Aizawa recounted for his colleague. It was an impressive intimidation technique meant to force an opponent to yield before resuming attacks. Something reminiscent of Aizawa's shinobi days. A tactic that had proved successful against Iida, Shouji, and Tokoyami during that day's Heroics class.

"Quite the intimidating force," All Might commented. His blue eyes sneaked a peek at the brunette across the room. The younger twin was currently demonstrating a slowed down kick to Iida while Midoriya scribbled down notes.

"As terrifying as he is while he fights. There's more to him than that," Aizawa reassured quietly, lifting his face to meet All Might's. It seemed that Tsubasa's primary goal was to protect his teammates by defending, while Kyo's was to protect by attacking. Similar to the two other problem children in his class. "He's actually someone you'd probably take a liking to."

"Oh yeah? What makes you say that?" the deflated hero asked hesitantly. Knowing full well how Aizawa felt about his different teaching methods. It was something they bickered about often in the teacher's lounge.

The underground hero broke his gaze off first to go back to grading, much to the retired hero's relief. "Tsubasa has shown time and time again during the Heroics classes to go out of his way to protect others. Often at the sake of his own well being. That's your schtick, right?" the raven-haired man criticized.

All Might's head lowered slightly. He knew that Aizawa didn't care for his self-sacrificing mantra. It was Aizawa's most significant criticism with Midoriya. Now the underground hero possibly had another student to watch out for. After noticing Tsubasa's selfless nature, Aizawa had decided to keep a watchful eye over him. Believing him to be the type to ignore or even hide his pain from others. Not knowing if Aizawa expected an answer from him, the deflated hero nodded in response to his question. With a roll of his eyes, he went back to grading.

"Give him a chance. You might grow to like him. Midoriya certainly has," the eraser hero suggested. While Aizawa had asked Tsubasa to become close to the freckled boy for their mission to succeed. It had ended up being the boy's passion for history and knowledge of the various worlds he'd visited that had allowed Tsubasa to become fast friends with Midoriya. Bonding over their love of cataloging their expertise in a notebook of sorts, not that the freckled boy had any idea Tsubasa had a journal of his own. Aizawa, on the other hand, had been granted permission to pursue it in his spare time. It was a fascinating read, but one filled with hardship.

"How about young Honda?" the deflated hero prompted noticing the frown on Aizawa's face.

Before he could answer, another voice spoke up. "Big Sister's the best!~" Eri chirped beside them. Adopting the same sing-song way, the kunoichi spoke.

"Sister?" All Might asked, confused. His head tilted comically to one side, causing the long strands of golden hair to move with him. One of which blocked his right eye from view. "I beg your pardon?"

The little girl rested a finger to her chin as she pondered the best way to answer her senior's question. "A girl family member that you love?" she offered hesitantly. A slightly trembling hand holding onto her apple dress for courage. Eri was still learning about the world around her after being shut off from it for most of her life. Because of this, she often confused words and meanings. Eri became self-conscious of this, which prevented her from speaking up when she first arrived. However, her confidence steadily grew with the lessons she received from the Wild Wild Pussycats and her beloved classmate Kota. The underground hero couldn't be any prouder of her progress. "Like Kota's big brother, Deku."

"Ah, I see," the retired hero smiled. A barely held back laugh sounded in his voice. "That's correct."

Her scarlet eyes sparkled proudly at her accomplishment. The resulting smile she shot both of them absolutely blinding. "What do you want with Big Sister?" she asked All Might curiously.

"Oh well, I just wanted to know more about her is all," The former Symbol of Peace replied awkwardly.

"What do you want to know about her?" she asked innocently. Her usually quiet voice growing louder with her renewed confidence. Resulting in some nearby students' heads to turn towards them with different levels of interest reflecting in their eyes.

All Might's cover gradually being blown with each question. When he had approached Aizawa, he hadn't thought Eri wasn't paying attention to their conversation. Now that All Might had her full attention, he didn't want to appear nosy or for her to overhear something she shouldn't. His blue eyes pleaded with his colleague for some kind of parental assistance. However, the raven-haired man only grinned into his coffee, waiting for him to make the first move. Aizawa wanted nothing more than to return to grading his papers in peace.

The retired hero bowed his head in defeat. "Well, would you look at the time. I have a meeting with Principal Nezu that I can't be late for," All Might lied, excusing himself from the table. "We'll have to catch up later, Aizawa. Until then!" He took a moment to say a few quick farewells before exiting the dorms.

"See ya later!~" she called after him, waving both arms as she did so. After a few seconds, Eri turned to her adoptive father. "Did I do a good job?" she asked quietly.

The corners of Aizawa's mouth twitched upward. "Yes, you did a great job scaring him off," he praised, ruffling her hair in a loving gesture. "I believe you've stopped him from snooping on them for the time being, at least. Keep up the great work."

Her adoptive father's heartfelt praise made Eri smile. "Roger!" she giggled, her hand giving an adorable salute. Eri then picked up one of her discarded crayons and continued to draw. A joyful tune hummed under her breath as she drew herself, playing with three stick figures. One with long dangly ribbons, another with large bird wings, and the last with orange cat ears. All of which were surrounded by bright swirling colors.

**_Bakugou P. O. V. _**

It was well past Midnight by the time Bakugou and Kyo dragged themselves to the fourth floor. Both of them mentally exhausted after the Bakusquad's late-night study session. Both envied Kirishima and Sero, who had retired early since they didn't need as much tutoring as the two other hopeless members of their group. Carrottop would have joined them if he could, but the explosive hero refused to leave him unattended in his room. The fact that neither of them complained that they were still stuck sharing a room was a testament to how tired they really were. According to Aizawa, the renovations to the room adjacent to the blonde's was only halfway done. Meaning they'd be stuck with each other for another few weeks at the very least.

"Sooo tired…" moaned the copper-haired teen. His crimson eyes were hazy and drooped heavily. His footsteps were shaky as his legs struggled to keep him upright.

"No shit sherlock," muttered the ash-blonde. Grumpiness made Bakugou's tone sharper than usual, but despite this, Bakugou kept a watchful eye on his narcoleptic roommate. It wouldn't surprise him at all if he passed out any second.

"Think I'll take a short nap here…"

"Stay on your feet, moron," the ash-blonde ordered quietly. His hand grabbed the front of the shinobi's shirt to keep Kyo's weight off of his weakened knees. Bakugou didn't need another lecture about proper host etiquette from Glasses if he found Kyo napping on the stairs again. He gave him a good shake before continuing to drag him toward their room. There were a couple of sleepy protests from the shinobi, but Bakugou shushed them immediately. His footsteps quickened their pace so he could collapse onto his bed.

To say that Bakugou was exhausted was an extreme understatement. He was already beat after exerting himself during class. Then, there was the run around campus strapped to weights representing half his body weight. After which, he spent a couple of hours defending his top score in all of their favorite video games, followed by the surprise wrestling match, which ended in him and Kyo taped to the floor.

_Fucking morons, _Bakugou thought bitterly. His free hand absently rubbed at the red marks on his arms, which had begun to sting with the memory. _Like I needed another panic attack today._

Luckily for Bakugou, Kaminari and Sero overlooked two crucial details. That the class had just learned to escape all manners of restraints that afternoon and that Kyo was one of the instructors. The copper-haired teen tore through the tape enough to reach the hidden kunai his boot.

_Turned out, the psycho's sharp canines were actually useful for something after all. _

The ash-blonde took comfort in the knowledge that they'd be free in no time and that he was relatively safe within the dorms. The familiar forms of his teachers sitting a few tables away also helped to ease his apprehension. So Bakugou decided to endure his growing anxiety in aggravated silence. Preparing to rage on his friends the second, he was released. It took some time to cut themselves free, but when they finally did, _all hell broke loose. _

It was confirmed later that the idiots' terrified screams could be heard from the nearby dorms as they ran for their lives. If those knuckleheads thought it was nearly impossible to escape Bakugou's fury before, they should've thought better than to anger the Copycat Ninja as well. Their usual strategy of splitting up and hoping they weren't the one Bakugou was targeting was no longer an option in this unwinnable scenario. Lamps, pieces of furniture, and even other classmates were knocked over in their desperate attempts to shake off the twin beasts of their class. Neither of the explosive heroes held back as they chased their targets up and down the halls. Kyo even ran on all fours at one point to close the distance between him and his prey. This over the top display, however, proved to be part of a greater ploy.

Unbeknownst to them, the copper-haired teen had chased the two idiots into a hidden snare he had set up earlier in the day. The tripwire instantly wrapped around their feet and hung them by their ankles a second later. After taking a few photos of their shame, the explosive teens had decided to leave them dangling there for a good hour before they were forced to cut them down by Iida. Only then did their friend group finally buckle down to start studying for the quiz they had in English the next day. Bakugou viciously beat the material into their brains in the same manner that Kyo beat them into the ground during the Quirkless class. The comparison made the ash-blonde smirk.

_No wonder we got along._

Bakugou fought back a yawn as he unlocked the door to his room. His eyes rested on Kirishima's door, longingly for a few seconds. It was most likely unlocked. The Ball-of-Sunshine often forgot his key, so he made it a habit of keeping it unlocked at all times. The ash-blonde considered sneaking in after Kyo went to bed but ultimately decided against it. It would be safer to wait until the renovations were done. No need to add another stressful element to his already chaotic life.

Instead of gently resting his fatigued classmate on the ground, the explosive hero tightened his grip around the front of Kyo's shirt before thrusting him into the room with all his might. This was Bakugou, after all.

Kyo hit the ground with a loud **_Thud! _ **His body fumbled over himself as he tried to decipher which way was up in his drowsy stupor. The shinobi's momentum eventually came to a stop when he crashed into Bakugou's desk. A few items on top were knocked to the floor as well. The blonde knew there would be a formal noise complaint taped to his door from Iida the next morning, but he was too tired to care.

"You're gonna pay for that," The copper-haired teen growled. His lips pulled back to expose his glistening fangs while his eyes narrowed menacingly. The expression might be terrifying to some sidekicks, but to Bakugou, he looked like an idiot with him slumped upside down against his desk. Feet in the air comically with his arms stretched out on either side of him.

"Fat fucking chance," grumbled the hothead. Closing his door quietly behind him to not wake the redhead next door, as if he forgot the tremendous ruckus he made seconds before. He kicked off his house slippers, hoping to hit Kyo with one, but his friend lazily rolled out of the way easily enough. "Hurry up and go to sleep," Bakugou ordered in a hushed tone. Tossing him, the one bag Kyo brought with him to UA.

Unfortunately for him, the bag was more cumbersome than Bakugou initially thought, which caused it to fall short of what he had intended. Two sets of crimson eyes watched as the satchel landed between them in slow motion. Both too exhausted from training to reach it in time. The dark pack it the ground with another heavy **_thud. _**An assortment of items spilled out of it and scattered across the room much to their collected dissatisfaction.

_Shit! _was all Bakugou could bring himself to think. His unease and awkwardness froze him in place. The hero didn't know what to do or what he should say. Bakugou was well aware that he fucked up, but he had no idea how to fix it or mend the situation. The ash-blonde had to fight back his default response to become angry when he felt insecure in social interactions since that course of action was unjustified in this situation. So he opted to wait for Kyo to make the first move.

The ash-blonde felt his heart clench in his chest as he regretted his carelessness and irritation. He hoped that his mistake didn't cause anything valuable or sentimental to break in the fall. Bakugou's eyes quickly glanced at his desk. He was relieved to see that Kyo's twin kunai still rested on top. It was the only thing Bakugou knew Kyo truly cared about. Something the shinobi ordered him to never touch.

_At least those are alright._

After what felt like an eternity, the spell finally broke when Kyo let out a long irritated sigh. With it, Carrottop pushed himself up from where he still laid slumped on the floor. Silently moving to retrieve his few earthly possessions from around the room. Turning his back toward the blonde as he worked.

Bakugou watched him for a few seconds before he too crouched on his knees to aid in their collection. "Sorry…" he mumbled apologetically. Handing Kyo his sketchbook and colored pencils without making eye contact. It was the most submissive he ever allowed himself to be in front of another person besides Kiri.

The explosive hero could feel the shinobi's intense gaze upon him as he studied his face. Bakugou's cheeks started to heat up with his growing embarrassment. He hoped that Kyo knew that he didn't do this on purpose. That it was an accident and that he wasn't a complete asshole just for the fun of it. A few moments passed before he felt the weight of the possessions slowly leave his hand.

"It's fine," came Kyo's drowsy response. There was an underlying hint of leftover irritation in his voice, but otherwise, his tone seemed genuine. This made Bakugou feel a little better about the situation, so he gave a curt nod to his classmate. Letting him know that he appreciated being forgiven for his hasty actions.

The two explosive teens continued to work in silence. Their movements were sluggish and clumsy as they fumbled to gather all the belongings before retiring for the night. The floor looking more and more comfortable with each passing second. The ash-blonde silently cursed Kyo for cramming more shit into his one pack than he would have thought possible. Just when Bakugou thought he managed to retrieve the last of the copper-haired teen's belongings, his phone's flashlight reflected2 off of something underneath his bed.

Bakugou let out a long drawn out groan when he didn't recognize the object. Muttering a long string of curses under his breath, he crawled over to his bed. With his draped arm on the mattress supporting the majority of his weight, Bakugou began to reach for the item with his other hand. After spending a few moments feeling around blindly, his fingers brushed against something cold. With a grunt, he stretched even further. Snatching the object once it was within his grip.

What the explosive hero brought out from under the bed confused him deeply. It appeared to be some sort of headband. Not all that surprising considering Kyo was a shinobi and all, but this one was oddly familiar. Bakugou couldn't bring himself to do anything but blinked dumbly at the object in his hand. His thumb traced the design engraved into the protective metal guard on the front.

_That looks like...No, it can't be. It has to be a joke, right? _Bakugou thought to himself. But something nagged at the back of his skull as he continued to stare at the headband in his grip. His body became fidgety in that all too familiar way it always did before something terrible or monumental happened.

"What the hell is this?" Bakugou finally asked, turning toward his roommate with the headband held up accusingly. His voice hitched ever so slightly. He didn't know why he suddenly felt so on edge, but there was no going back now that all his senses were heightened. He needed answers. "You some kind of manga nerd or something?" he asked, bewildered.

Kyo was confused. That much was evident from the look on his face to the way his head subtly cocked to one side. "Manga?..." he repeated awkwardly and slightly mispronounced due to his accent. Like he had never heard that word before.

_Not a good sign._

"A graphic novel," Bakugou further explained, hoping to jog the thick-headed shinobi's memory. He knew that Kyo was bad at modern items from being a shut-in most of his life, but he had to have heard of them in passing at least. The blonde pointed at the headband. "This is from a manga. A basic one at that," Bakugou added in a slightly insulting tone.

A spark of realization reflected in Kyo's eyes then. "Oh yeah, the shinobi one set in the Land of Fire, right?" the copper-haired teen summarized.

"Right…that's the one," Bakugou confirmed hesitantly. His voice slowly morphed into his dangerously neutral tone.

While the shinobi's recollection wasn't wrong, it was a weird way to summarize the manga. The ash-blonde was way too proud to ever admit aloud that he had been enthralled by the manga when he was in grade school. Back before he realized what shinobi stood for in this world. Despite this, even Bakugou forgot the country the story was based on. Understandable since most of the events centered around the shinobi village instead of the entire country.

_He didn't even remember the name of the main character, which is the name of the whole story._

Sensing Bakugou's unease, Carrottop tried to laugh off the awkwardness between them. "Yeah, I tried to get into it awhile ago, but never ended up finishing it," he admitted with a nervous chuckle. Flashing the blonde, his usual toothy smirk, but his general confidence didn't reach his crimson gaze. After a brief pause, he continued, "I can hardly remember what even happens in it. Do you know if they ever accomplish what they set out to do?"

Bakugou's eyebrows scrunched into a scowl. "Are you too dumb to remember that the main character wanted to be Kazekage?" he asked his roommate carefully. Purposely giving the wrong information in a guarded and standoffish tone. Kyo's vague remarks made him anxious for some reason. Coupled that with the fidgety feeling deep in his gut caused all of his senses to be on high alert. Time seemed to be slowing down in his mind, like how it did when he fought. His shoulders instinctively tensed up, while his palms began to sweat in preparation for some non-existent threat.

Kyo didn't seem phased by Bakugou's question at all. Instead, he casually took a seat on top of Bakugou's bed without permission. "I'm smart enough to know that the symbol on that headband means it's from Konohagakure, not Sunagakure," the copper-haired teen corrected smugly. His hand waved him off in a flippant manner. With a nervous laugh, he added, "Maybe you got shocked one too many times from Sparky and are starting to lose some of your own brain cells as a result."

Even though the insult irked him, Bakugou remained silent. His mind carefully over-analyzed the exchange between them. His intimidating crimson eyes narrowed into his customary glare as he studied the shinobi before him. In the back of his mind, Bakugou knew this whole situation was stupid.

_Why am I even bothering with this conversation about some dumb story I read when I was a kid?' _Bakugou wondered drowsily. He wanted nothing more than to go to sleep at this moment. But something about this whole interaction still nagged at his mind.

As if reading his thoughts, Kyo continued, "C'mon man, it's just a story, right? Something I read when I was younger. Just curious about how it turned out is all."

It was clear to Bakugou that Kyo hadn't read much of the story, but knew enough details about it to be knowledgeable about the fantasy world it took place in. If Binoshi was as strict as the trio made it sound, then it would be a challenge to acquire volumes or speak with anyone who knew anything about it. Kyo could simply be trying to pick the explosive hero's brain for information about the ending.

_Figures, the idiot does hate reading after all, _he thought passively to himself. Ready to drop the topic and conversation altogether.

However, the explosive hero's eyes dumbly blinked a few times with that sudden realization.

_Kyo hates reading, _Bakugou repeated in his head.

He recalled how the troublesome ninja went to great lengths to avoid reading at every opportunity. How Kyo purposely overexerted himself every day before English to avoid being called on during class and how he hid his terrible spelling behind his disastrous handwriting. With how the shinobi avoided books like the plague, it seemed highly improbable that he would willingly subject himself to any form of reading just for the fun of it. Granted, there was always the possibility that Kyo had heard the story from another person, which could explain how he was knowledgeable about some aspects of the manga while other bits of information like character names were lost in translation along the way. But Bakugou believed that was incredibly unlikely considering he had only interacted with other sheltered shinobi candidates at Binoshi before he was granted permission to attend UA.

Bakugou thought back to other odd behaviors Kyo and his teammates exhibited over the last few weeks. Everything from the twins' weird accent and proficiency in a language no one could place, to the odd cadence Tohru spoke in. How the trio mysteriously transferred from a school no one had ever heard of, the bewildered look they gave whenever they encountered a unique quirk or how they seemed completely oblivious about the world around them. That heroes and shinobi were suddenly forced to work together, their overpowered quirks and, of course, the weird unexplainable aura that seemed to roll off of them.

The ash-blonde's attention turned back to Kyo, who waited patiently for Bakugou to give him the time of day. At first glance, the copper-haired teen seemed perfectly at ease. His long legs stretched out over the edge of the bed in a casual manner, while the rest of him laid back comfortably while his elbows propped him up. A position that exposed him greatly if he were to be attacked, which spoke to how confident he felt with his abilities at all times. A fact highlighted by the confident smirk that never left his face, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. Aided by his heightened senses, Bakugou noticed the stiffness of Kyo's shoulders. The hero's eyes were able to discern that his friend's body trembled slightly in what he believed to be apprehension. That the copper-haired teen's hands had the blankets balled into his fists, which Kyo could use as leverage to launch himself forward if the need arose.

Bakugou's scowl deepened as he regarded the random anime headband in his hand. _Why would such a thing have been hidden amongst Kyo's belongings? H_e wondered to himself. If the manga was something that Kyo casually read when he was younger, why would he bother keeping a tacky relic from it? He seemed hellbent on convincing Bakugou that his connection to the story was no big deal, but keeping the headband contradicted that claim completely. Everything about this situation was bizarre.

The explosive hero's thumb traced the spiral design on the front. The protective plate was crafted from real steel, which gave it some heft, instead of being made of aluminum or a cheap plastic like Bakugou had previously believed. Even with it being made from a more durable material, it was heavily scratched up and dented in a few places. Obviously worn into battle with the amount of abuse it endured. The headband itself was made from a once brilliant black silky fabric with what appeared to be washed-out bloodstains scattered here and there. The sight of it made Bakugou's blood run cold with the realization that it was authentic.

"This is real," Bakugou whispered half to himself, breaking the silence for the first time. His mind still reeled with the absurdity of his conclusion, but the evidence he gathered and the bloodied headband in his hand supported his suspicions. The surplus of adrenaline pumping through his veins made him jittery and caused his fingers to tap against the steel plate of the item in his possession. Skeptical crimson orbs narrowed at the object before they found their way back to its owner. Bakugou gritted his teeth in agitation to curb his need to blow something up.

"Unless you had a stupid weeb phase and actually wore this in public. I'm willing to bet that this is a real Hidden Village Headband," Bakugou declared in a guarded tone. His voice low and even, daring his classmate to deny his claim.

The shinobi took a moment to flick some of his bright orange bangs out of his eyes before answering. "You sure? You're not very good at bets if I recall," Kyo joked casually, but his eyes were slightly panicked. His voice hitched ever so slightly in his desperate attempt to distract the ash-blonde from the secret he was about to uncover.

But Bakugou wasn't falling for it.

"I'm 100% sure this is real. I just don't understand_ how_ it's real." Bakugou growled back, refusing to fall for the shinobi's tricks. The explosive hero's body instinctively took a step forward to close the distance between them, as well as block Kyo's means of escape through the door behind him. "It doesn't make any sense. It's just a stupid manga. Characters made up for the entertainment of children. Tell me how you're real?" he ordered in a threatening tone. Beginning to understand that the headband and Kyo himself were one and the same.

Renewed panic flashed in the copper-haired teen's eyes, causing Bakugou to tense as a result. The shinobi's hesitance confirmed the blonde's hypothesis as far as Bakugou was concerned. He carefully dropped into a defensive crouch with his scrutinizing gaze fixed on Kyo. Ready to defend or run if Kyo made a move toward him. Bakugou just blew a shinobi's cover. It didn't take a genius to know that could prove to be fatal.

Bakugou's mind swirled with a million questions. All of which screamed for answers.

_How is this possible? Why did they lie? Why are they here? Does this mean they're all a threat?_

He visibly flinched when the recalled the faces of the League of Villains and All For One. An ominous chill started to overtake him as fear began to fog over his thoughts. His breath started to hitch with the beginnings of a panic attack, though the abundance of adrenaline in his system kept him from shutting down completely. The explosive hero shook his head to focus his thoughts.

The ash-blonde recalled how the shinobi seemed fixated on him and Deku from the very beginning. An incriminating coincidence in his eyes, considering both of them were targeted by villains regularly. At this point in time, Bakugou saw them as full-fledged enemies until proven not to be.

_Were they tasked with infiltrating the school to report our weaknesses back to our enemies? Should I confront him about it now, or should I run and inform Aizawa?'_

He gritted his teeth even harder when he remembered his sleeping classmates. Wondering if Kyo would exploit their vulnerable states if he fled.

_No, it would make more sense to neutralize me to preserve his cover, _Bakugou concluded. With that concern taken care of, it came down to what course of action Bakugou would take in this situation. _Should he confront Kyo here, or should he attempt to run and inform his teacher of the potential threat? _

Kyo pushed himself up from the bed then. The movement was casual in nature but came off as more threatening than it actually was due to Bakugou's heightened senses. In that instant, Bakugou decided that his best course of action would be to alert his teachers of what he discovered.

_I have to let Aizawa know now, _the ash-blonde affirmed. Immediately bolting for the door.

The hero heard an exasperated hiss behind him, followed by the sound of the shinobi scrambling to his feet. But he ignored it. He was only a few paces from the door. However, Bakugou's momentum was suddenly halted as something grabbed hold of his leg and began to drag him backward. With a low growl, he whirled his head to see one end of his laptop charging cords wrapped around his ankle while Kyo attempted to pull him further into the room. The cable painfully constricted around his leg as it dug into him.

"C'mon, let me explain," the copper-haired teen pleaded with another pull of the cord. But his snappish tone came off as more of an order than a suggestion, which of course, rubbed the blonde the wrong way.

"Fuck off," Bakugou countered, wrapping his trapped foot around the cord to get some leverage before tugging with all his might. Pulling a surprised Kyo forward, successfully knocking him off balance in the process. Before the shinobi could recover his balance, the hero-in-training slammed his knee into the Copycat's face. The force of the blow immediately forced Kyo to release his hold of the cable, as blood started to gush from his nose. Hopefully, buying Bakugou the few seconds needed to make a mad dash into the hall.

Bakugou rushed to the door. Taking care that the cord still attached to his foot didn't get snagged by anything during his retreat. He would be able to remove it quickly when he made it to safety. His hand just wrapped around the doorknob when he heard a loud **_THUNK!_**

The blonde's eyes slowly moved to his immediate left. There he saw two kunai jammed within the crack of the door a few inches from his face. Securing the door firmly in place. With gritted teeth, Bakugou pulled on the handle in a futile attempt to free it, but the door didn't budge an inch. With the walls of his room newly fortified after the fire alarm incident, Bakugou's only means of escape was the balcony, which was conveniently blocked by his opponent.

Out of options, Bakugou opened his mouth to yell for Kirishima next door, but Kyo was already on him. "Kiri-" he began to yell only to be cut off when a hand roughly clasped itself over his mouth.

"Shhh Come on, let's talk this out," Kyo hissed under his breath. His hand focusing on muffling the string of curse words currently trying to leave Bakugou's mouth instead of blocking his flow of air. Meanwhile, he attempted to pin one of the blonde's arms behind his back to subdue him. However, Bakugou retaliated by executing his new favorite jiu-jitsu move by falling backward in the opposite direction. A move identical to the one he had done to Tohru during their first class together.

This forced Kyo to reposition himself by releasing his hold on his arm so he wouldn't get pinned underneath Bakugou when they landed. The shinobi's firm hold over his mouth loosened ever so slightly. Nothing too monumental, but it was enough for Bakugou. Fueled by his tenacious nature and the experience he gained from his hero training, Bakugou managed to wiggle free enough to bite down hard on Kyo's hand.

Bakugou had to give the shinobi credit. Despite Kyo being bitten, he didn't loosen his hold on his face. Instead, he tightened his grip while he put the blonde into a headlock. Bakugou, however, held firm. Passively wishing he had Kirishima's sharp teeth at this moment as he bit down even harder. The blonde taking great pleasure in the satisfying hiss of pain that escaped the shinobi's lips every time he increased the pressure. The taste of blood was overwhelming, but he choked back his queasiness. The shinobi had finally released him. Prioritizing freeing himself from Bakugou's hold instead of threatening to choke him out.

However, the ash-blonde had greatly underestimated his opponent's resolve. Fed up, Kyo forced Bakugou to release his bite, by hand chopping the hero's throat. A mixture of shock and pain instantly ripped his mouth open with a **_GAK! _**Effectively freeing Bakugou's enemy and preventing him from calling out for aid in one fluid movement.

The pain was so intense that it made the blonde's vision blur for a second. His dilated pupils continued to tremble in correlation to his racing heart. Bakugou's hand quickly reached for his neck to assess the damage to his throat while his other hand absentmindedly wiped the trail of drool from his mouth. Though it wasn't long before he realized that he didn't have the luxury to stay motionless for long. His body instantly moved out of reflex when he felt Kyo trying to pin him to the ground.

They continued to scuffle on the ground. Both teens doing everything they could to overpower the other. Books and half-done assignments clattered to the floor around them as they crashed and rolled along the carpeted floor. It was a wonder how no one came to complain about the noise at this point. But that would have been too convenient.

Kyo obviously had the upper hand with all his experience. He eventually managed to pin Bakugou's legs with his own. However, Bakugou wasn't defenseless. The hero had been watching all the shinobi carefully ever since they had arrived. He knew a lot of their weaknesses even if they all thought they had hidden them well from curious eyes. While they wrestled on the floor, Bakugou purposefully touched Kyo with as many parts of his body and clothes as he could. Hoping to sap his strength by abusing the weakness of his always active quirk. When the hero felt the shinobi's movements weaken considerably. Bakugou instantly elbowed Kyo's right shoulder as hard as he could. It was the shoulder he always babied after classes.

The explosive shinobi instantly doubled over. Not even attempting to keep hold of his target. Unconcerned, Bakugou grabbed hold of him and flipped him over his shoulder. Slamming him hard onto the floor. Bakugou swiftly stood above him with a foot secured triumphantly against his opponent's throat. Ready to crush his windpipe should the need arise. Kyo's hands instinctively clutched the foot, threatening his life, but Bakugou increased the pressure slightly in a warning.

"Hold it right there, fucker," Bakugou ordered in a raspy voice. One of his crimson eyes winced slightly with the dull pain that flared when he tried to speak. But he powered through it, "One wrong move, and I'll _end_ you."

"...fuck off…" Kyo wheezed in between pants. Waving off his threat, but slowly relaxed his grip in submission. His nose had stopped bleeding, and there were traces of blood smeared on his clothing from their wrestling match. "What kind of monster goes for people's injuries? You must not have trusted me at all for you to be actively looking for weaknesses to exploit later on, huh?" he asked in an almost somber tone.

"Don't take in personal. I hardly trust anyone 100%," Bakugou spat back. He had intended his statement to sound like a taunt, but the raspiness of his voice made him sound bitter. Fitting because that's precisely how this whole exchange left him feeling. Bakugou mentally shook off his nerves. Choosing to focus on the enemy in front of him instead.

"Now, you're going to tell me everything I want to know or _else_," the ash-blonde ordered. Bakugou's hand sparkling quietly to emphasize his threat of bodily harm.

"Oh, so _now_ we're going to talk this out? That's what I wanted from the very fucking beginning," Kyo hissed under his breath. His lips pulled back to highlight his glistening canines.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Well, do you want me to answer your questions, or do you want me to shut up? Make up your mind, dumbass!"

Bakugou barely stopped himself from crushing his throat right then. Too blinded by rage to think rationally. It almost felt like he was talking to Deku all of a sudden. If the nerd talked back and suddenly developed a sailor's mouth that rivaled Bakugou's very own. The conflicting mass of emotions he had regarding the little green pipsqueak did seem familiar when he compared it to his relationship with the shinobi under his foot. Maybe Bakugou was angry because Kyo was basically the blonde's double in more ways than he cared to admit. Or perhaps it was that he felt betrayed because he had come to befriend the exchange student over the past couple of weeks. Only to discover that he wasn't who had claimed to be. That Kyo had been hiding something from him all this time. A situation that was way too similar to the Deku and All Might fiasco.

In the aftermath of their scuffle, Bakugou's developing hero instincts faded until only a few jittery traces remained. With it, his head slowly began to clear. Leaving the explosive hero conflicted. He was at a loss of what to do. He had Kyo, a possible threat, pinned underneath him, but he couldn't exactly leave to tell Aizawa what he discovered. Not without releasing his captive to do so. Bakugou also couldn't restrain him for long without Kyo breaking free. He momentarily considered asking for a classmate's help, but when his hero senses flared up in opposition, he decided against it. Bakugou's instincts had never let him down before, so he trusted them full-heartedly. Though he wished he could ask Kirishima for help.

"So, what now?" The copper-haired teen asked the future hero. His eyes drooped heavily now that the adrenaline keeping him awake started to burn itself off. If Bakugou wanted answers, he would need to act quickly before Kyo was forced asleep from his powers. "Are you going to turn me in now that you've already branded me as a villain?"

"Are you admitting it?" Bakugou growled back. Unintentionally digging his heel into Kyo's throat a little more with the mention of villains. Kyo doesn't struggle against it. In fact, he extended his neck and turned his head in an entirely submissive gesture. His body visibly went slack to showcase to Bakugou that he was entirely at his mercy.

"I can't admit to what I'm not," Kyo answered back. His crimson eyes reflected with a renewed fiery resolve that wasn't there before. "We're not your enemies. We've come here to help you out. The fact that we're not from Binoshi doesn't change that," he continued in a sincere tone.

The future hero scoffed at that. "And I'm just supposed to believe that?" Bakugou sneered back.

Kyo almost looked hurt by the hero's words. He turned his head away from him, further exposing his vulnerable neck. "Believe me or don't. I have no control of what truth you choose to believe," Kyo replied sullenly. Leaving Bakugou wondering how he was able to read the shinobi's emotions so effortlessly.

"If you're not from Binoshi, where the hell do you three come from?"

"I think you already the answer to that," the copper-haired teen replied. His head slowly motioning toward the headband, lying on the floor a few feet away from them.

"But how is that possible?" growled the explosive hero. His brain was unable to make sense of the truth he'd known since discovering the headband was the real thing. "It's not a real place. It's a fictional story about made-up characters."

"No, they aren't. They're real people with lives and wills of their own," Kyo argued in a hushed tone. Before Bakugou could ask anything further, he continued, "You're just reading about people in a world different than yours."

This revelation surprised the blonde enough for him to remove his foot from his captive's throat. "A different world?" Bakugou repeated carefully. His crimson eyes hardened into a scrutinizing glare. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Exactly how it sounds stupid," Kyo coughed. His confidence raising a bit now that the blonde had removed his foot. He slowly brought a hand to rub his neck but made no attempt to sit up. Deciding to keep movements to a bare minimum until they worked their differences out. "There's more than one, you know. Infinite worlds even."

"And how would you know that?" the ash-blond questioned.

"Well, how else would you explain us being here?"

Kyo had him there. There was simply no other way to explain how he could be from the _"fictional" _Land of Fire. Bakugou pinched the bridge of his nose with what he felt was the beginning of a massive headache.

"Let's assume I believe you come from another world. How do you explain your presence in _this _world? How did you even get here?!" the future hero questioned. Struggling to keep his volume low enough that no one could accidentally overhear them.

"Because that's what we do," Kyo answered, so matter of fact. Like it was the simplest thing in the world. He blinked a few times when he noticed that Bakugou's expression quickly morphed into one that wanted to strangle him again. Not in the mood for another wrestling match, Kyo promptly elaborated, "It's kind of our job to travel across them. Helping people out whenever we can."

Kyo swiftly explained how he and his teammates grew up in the shinobi village Konohagakure instead of Binoshi. That his family possessed the ability to travel across multiple worlds, which they used to retrieve items and build connections with influential individuals for the sake of their home. However, after their mother died, they had steadily lost favor with the villagers. Most of which had grown to fear their extraordinary abilities. They ultimately decided it was in their best interest to leave that world behind before anything terrible occurred. Kyo explained that they had been looking for a new home ever since. Completing jobs whenever they could, to afford traveling, as well as build a rapport with the individuals they've met.

While Kyo continued with his explanation, the uneasiness in Bakugou's stomach slowly melted away. The concerns and questions he had about the trio since they had arrived at UA suddenly being addressed. He paid extra close attention to the shinobi's body language and tone of voice. Bakugou observed how Kyo's posture was relaxed, with only a slight tensing of his shoulders. Every now and then, the Copycat would break eye contact when he described his life in another dimension, but the emotions reflected in them were sincere. Kyo was genuine in his recounts as far as the future hero could discern. The shinobi was most likely keeping some vital pieces of information to himself, but regardless of this, Bakugou was sure that the trio wasn't working with the League of Villains at the very least. There were only a couple of things that still didn't add up.

"How the hell did you end up teaching at this school?"

Kyo let out a drawn-out sigh. "Would you believe me if I said Aizawa was grading papers in a tree when we landed here?" the copper-haired teen grumbled.

Bakugou could believe that. The only thing that could make that statement more on-brand for Aizawa was if he had been drinking soylent while he did so. "And he was on board with you being from another world?" he asked skeptically.

"Well, no," Kyo admitted plainly. He finally allowed himself to sit cross-legged. "He was very suspicious as you could imagine. Though once we explained that we weren't villains, but other-worldly travelers, he decided to help us out with lodging in exchange for helping your class out."

"It was that easy?"

"Well, he said something about wanting to keep an eye on us while we were in this world. Aizawa also threatened to _'Erase our existence' _if we did anything terrible."

_Sounded about right. _Kyo's story seemed to check out.

Bakugou took a seat on his bed. Fatigue finally caught up with him. "I assume you want me to keep my mouth shut about this?" he grumbled half to himself. Pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to lessen his migraine. Bakugou was really sick of being the keeper of everyone's dangerous secrets.

"That would be ideal," his roommate answered sheepishly. There was a small groan from Bakugou in response, followed by a few moments of silence before Kyo spoke up, "Can I ask you something?"

"What now?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the manga?" He asked nervously.

"Weren't you from that world? Why do you even care?"

Kyo pursed his lips together before breaking eye contact from him. His cheeks shaded a light pink. "It might sound stupid to you, but I was kinda hoping my mother might have been in it. She died when I was 5, so I don't remember her all that much," he admitted with an embarrassed huff.

"You fucking serious?"

"It's stupid. Forget about it," the shinobi replied defensively. And with that, the copper-haired teen flopped down on the floor with his back facing the blonde. Kyo's head rested on his folded arm as if he were going to force himself to sleep right then to avoid talking further on the subject.

Bakugou regarded the discarded headband still lying on the floor a few feet away. Marveling at how such a trivial bloodstained item had started all of this.

_Oh, that's why, _he realized suddenly. Remembering how Kyo had stated that they had left that world after his mother was killed.

_If she had died when they were 5. Then they wouldn't have been old enough to receive their headbands yet._

The thought settled heavily in the blonde's gut.

"That's your mother's headband, isn't it?" Bakugou found himself asking, even though he already knew the answer.

"What of it?"

Because this was a sensitive topic, Bakugou refrained from saying something snarky back. "The main story is about how Naruto becomes Hokage. I don't know who your mom is, but if she's in it, she probably didn't get a lot of time in the books," he explained in a curt tone. Before Kyo could get his hopes dashed, he continued, "But they've made a bunch of branch off stories since its original release that might have some more info of her."

"Really?" The copper-haired teen replied, hopefully. His head peeked over his shoulder to shoot him a sideways glance.

The ash-blonde grunted. "Yeah, I grew bored of it when I started middle school, so I wouldn't know for sure," Bakugou replied in a voice that conveyed that his middle school life was already more exciting than battling ninjas. "My mom is still a huge manga nerd, so maybe she knows for sure."

"Can you ask her about it?"

"Hell no, just come over this weekend and rummage through her collection yourself."

Crimson eyes blinked dumbly at the blonde for a few seconds. "Did you just invite me over to your house?"

"Shut up. Just get Aizawa's permission," Bakugou ordered, throwing one of his surviving pillows at Carrottop's face. It would serve him a lot better than using his arm as a cushion. Bakugou had a second reason for wanting to look into the mangas with Kyo. He wanted to confirm with his own eyes that the trio were who they said they were. Books that highlighted past experiences and showed their innermost thoughts would provide valuable insight into their lives and motives.

Bakugou wished that was the end of it, but life couldn't be that easy for him. Even though the future hero wanted nothing more than to fall asleep. He knew he had to settle one last thing first. With a sigh, he pushed himself off the bed and headed for the balcony.

"Where are you going?" Kyo wondered aloud.

"I have to take care of something. Don't wait up for me," the blonde grunted vaguely. Slamming the sliding glass door behind him before Bakugou could be questioned any further.

The cold air immediately nipped at his exposed face. He took a moment to warm his hands while he waits to see if Kyo attempted to follow after him. Doubtful with how exhausted he was. A few moments passed without any movement disturbing his dark curtains. Satisfied, Bakugou carefully walked to the railing and climbed on top. Being mindful of the slippery surface as he jumped from his balcony to Kirishima's. Upon landing, he quickly let himself into his friend's room.

It was dark, the only sound being the redhead's quiet snoring. The ash-blonde sat down on the bed. Absently wondering if he had jumped the gun a little bit. He gently shook his friend's shoulder to rouse him. "Kiri, wake up," he whispered quietly.

Bakugou wasn't sure if Kirishima could hear him with the strong sleeping medication he was recently prescribed for his nightmares. But eventually, a sleepy voice responded, "Bakugou?" The camo blanket shifted underneath him as the redhead moved to face him. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," he grumbled awkwardly. It was going to be difficult to justify his actions without spilling the trio's secret. Deciding that it would be better not to sugar coat anything, the blonde just came out and said what was on his mind. "Something came up, so we have to reschedule our sleepover this weekend."

"How come?"

"I can't say, but it's really important," the explosive hero stressed, hoping that Kirishima would understand and leave it at that. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

There was a long pause. Just when Bakugou wondered if Kirishima had fallen asleep again, the redhead's voice proposed, "Only if you promise to come with me to therapy tomorrow."

_Shit. _

It was no use trying to put it off anymore. "Fine, whatever," Bakugou finally complied.

Even in the dark, Bakugou could see Kirishima's sleepy smile clearly. "Thanks, man," the redhead beamed, snuggling into his grumpy friend's side. His arms wrapped around his waist in an awkward hug. Already trying to pull him down into the bed. "You staying the rest of the night?"

The ash-blonde didn't bother replying. Instead, opting to playfully shove his friend until he was able to lie beside him. "Go to sleep Shitty-hair," he yawned. His eyes heavy with fatigue. Falling into a deep sleep, the second his head hit the pillow.

**_Dabi P. O. V. _**

The frigid December wind started to pick up during the witching hours early Friday morning. Not only did the air currents nip painfully at any exposed flesh, but it howled ominously through the city. If the local weatherman was correct, Japan was in for a devastating winter. Conditions such as these were enough to dissuade any sane person from venturing out for long, but a few people still mulled around despite the unfavorable weather.

"Why are we out here again?" a female voice asked for the thousandth time that night. Her knife trailed the brick wall of the alley they had just turned down.

"You know why Crazy," came Dabi's indifferent response. He didn't care much for her psychotic and completely unhinged personality, but even he couldn't deny she was a useful ally in a pinch. For some reason, their all-mighty leader always tasked him to babysit Toga and Twice since he was one of the few people in their group able to tolerate their antics.

Ever since they lost their true leader, All For One, they had been at a loss of what to do. So while he rotted in Tartarus, the rest of them were forced to go into hiding. Constantly having to look over their shoulders for the Pro-heroes that hunted them down relentlessly. A task that was difficult to accomplish since they also needed to build up their ranks considerably. So members were sent out to find possible new recruits while Shiagraki brainstormed ways to force the hero society to its knees.

_How did my life end up like this? _Wondered the villain as they rounded another corner. Small amounts of steam rolled off his body as the cold air came into contact with his always overheated body. Dabi and Toga had roamed the streets for a few hours now. Without seeing so much as a stray cat in the process. They should have known this night would have been a bust with how cold it was. He was just about to suggest heading back to their hideout when he heard an excited shriek from his partner.

"Dabi, check out that woman's hoodie! Isn't it adorable?" Toga giggled, playfully grabbing onto his steaming arm. Her finger pointed excitedly at a woman 30 feet from them in what appeared to be a snake-eyed hoodie. The atmosphere around her suddenly shifted. You could practically see the madness overtake her as her golden eyes glazed over. Her fangs on full display as her face contorted into her signature psychotic grin.

_"I want it."_

"Wait-" he began, but it was too late. She had already disappeared from his side.

Toga reappeared in front of the woman a second later. "I'll be taking that hoodie sweety," she announced in a deceptively cheerful voice. With the flash of her hand, she instantly buried a knife into the woman's gut. Twisting it viciously before ripping it from her body with a spray of blood. Dosing her victim and herself in the process. A reasonable person might believe the coveted hoodie to be ruined in such a state, but to Toga, the blood added the finishing touches.

"Thank you!" she giggled, bringing the knife to her lips. Giving it a leisurely lick as if she was tasting delicious popsicle instead of a knife dripping with blood.

Dabi ran a hand through his dark hair. "Hey Crazy, you really need to practice some self-control," he chastised, placing his burnt hands into his pockets. Ready to put some distance between them and this gruesome crime scene. "Hurry up, we need to-"

He was interrupted by the abrupt sound of someone throwing up and a knife clattering to the ground. The villain looked over his shoulder to see Toga doubled over in pain. Her hands clutched her throat desperately as she continued to throw up the contents of her stomach. Standing over her, perfectly alright, was the woman Toga had stabbed. The hood that had recently been pulled up now laid flat against her back to reveal a woman in her late twenties with golden hair pulled into a long braid and matching eyes that reflected the moonlight in a way that could only be described as demonic.

Dabi could only watch in disbelief as the woman crouched beside Toga. Her hand gently gripped the shapeshifter's face to make her look into her intimidating eyes. A pathetic mewl escaped the blonde's lips as she came to the realization that she was at the mercy of this mystery woman.

"You need to pick your targets better, sweety," the woman criticized in an incredibly alluring tone. Throwing Toga's fake term of endearment back in her face. Her thumb stroked her cheek in the same fashion a parent mind comfort a terrified child.

_I could incinerate her in an instant, _Dabi estimated to himself.

If he planned it right, he could even avoid hitting Toga. She might get scorched a little in the process, but it was better than dying. Dabi was about to put his plan into action when her off-putting eyes flicked toward him for the first time. Sending a visible chill down his spine.

"It's a shame, isn't it?" she mused aloud wistfully. Her golden gaze turning back to her prey. Her fangs glittered in the moonlight like a snake sizing up a terrified mouse. The woman's long blood tipped nails, traced a small design onto Toga's cheek. "Poor thing can't even tell when someone is out of her league. How about you, _boy_?"

It was then that he realized that his cheek stung. He brought a hand up to it to feel it slick with blood. _When did she? The _villain wondered to himself.

"Who are you?" Dabi finally growled back. Steadily coming to terms that they were severely outmatched. That they were both in danger of losing their lives if this encounter ended with them coming to blows. But he would be damned if he went down without a fight. Blue flames started to dance across his palm as he awaited her next attack. Dabi absently regretted that he hadn't had the chance to take down Endeavour before he died.

However, her next attack never came. The woman simply shot him a wicked smile. Her hand doing a weird hand signal, which caused Toga to gasp as some of the pain in her throat lessened in intensity. Which allowed Dabi's crazy teammate to breathe a little easier.

"I've been called many things throughout my travels. _Stealer of Powers, Witch of Calamity _and _Tamer of Demons,_ to name a few," the woman expressed in a tone that commanded nothing short of respect.

"But, you _boy_ may call me Medusa."

* * *

**Hesci Everyone! Hello Everyone! I thought I would add some Mvskoke Language in honor of it being Native American Heritage Month here in the States. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I apologize if you thought it was long. I wanted to start moving the plot along. With the beginnings of Bakugou discovering one of the trio's secrets as well as introduce another villain who will be playing a big part with the overall plot.**

**If you recognized the fidgety hero sense that Bakugou briefly described, it is actually a Headcanon from AnonymousTwist. They are one of my favorite writers on this platform. If you enjoy Bakugou centric stories I highly recommend you check out some of their stories. They just came out with one entitled Hero Sense, which goes into further detail about the fidgety feeling Bakugou and Kyo gets when something detrimental is about to happen. Though, I've tweaked it a little bit to fit my needs. Basically to be the opposite of Aizawa and Tsubasa's foresight.**

**Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you continue to keep reading. If you would be so kind as to give me kudos, likes or leave a review or comments on the story so far would be absolutely amazing. Not only does it help validate the work I've put into this story, but it also motivates me to update faster knowing people are actually reading and enjoying it. You don't have to sing it praises either. Let me know if the chapters are too long, if I'm moving the plot to slow or if I need to add or cut out fight scenes or personal interactions. If you have a ship or friendship that you love, I can try to work that in.**

**Translation for Kyo's cursing:** Fucking shit! Shut the fuck up! Hell, this sucks! Fucking prosecuting attorney prostitute fuck! Suck a dick Sparky!


	9. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**_Tsubasa P. O. V. _**

Freezing rain had started to pour down on the city in the wee hours of Friday morning. The rhythmic thrumming of the rain splattering against the roof was only interrupted by the occasional clap of thunder echoing in the distance. The sudden downpour fizzled out the remnants of a disturbing dream.

Images of blue flames, coughed up blood, and golden eyes caused Tsubasa to wake up with a start. The heavy blankets flew off him as his wings hastily unsheathed from his back in sheer panic. His amber eyes trembled in correlation with his body as his lungs heaved in as much oxygen as they could muster. Sweat dripped down his face despite the below-freezing temperatures wafting through the open window.

For the last two weeks, the winged shinobi had been plagued with nightmares instead of his usual visions. An embarrassing feat for a prominent Dreamwalker. One who up until this point possessed the power to control his own dream space. Perhaps it was fortunate that he wasn't on speaking terms with his older brother. Kyo would never let him hear the end of it.

He winced at the thought of him. _Actually, he'd probably be furious with me instead, _the brunette thought bitterly.

While Tsubasa still received perceptive dreams regarding their mission. They were becoming garbled and less frequent. It was as if something was blocking his powers altogether.

_Perhaps this interference was what got in the way of Aizawa's foresight abilities from awakening before now? _Regardless of the reason, it created a backdoor for his fears to take root in his mind.

Tsubasa's most reoccurring nightmare was of his teammate Tohru becoming the Destroyer of Worlds. A dream where she slaughtered everyone and everything in her path in her quest to bring Kyo back to life, with a darker version of _himself _standing faithfully at her side. It was the vision he had seen in the moments before his brother's death. The future that had convinced Tsubasa to risk everything to rewind time in an effort to spare his life.

As if to punish the brunette even further for the sin he committed, this scenario constantly repeated itself in the back of his mind. Reminding Tsubasa that just because he managed to save Kyo once, this future could still come to pass if he should ever be killed again. The threat loomed over them, like a deadly promise. Each time the dream started, the brunette would be forced to watch the same vision play out, unable to change anything as people were massacred in front of him. It had always been the same vision playing out without change, that was until that night.

Tonight, for the first time since the initial premonition occurred, the scenery changed. Tsubasa found himself standing in the ruined remains of UA Highschool. Amber eyes watched in horror as the once sweet Tohru cut through hero after hero and student after student. Nameless beings at first, but before too long, familiar forms joined the endless sea of corpses at her feet. Even though Tsubasa knew it would be in vain, he desperately tried to move from the spot he stood rooted to the floor to no avail.

"Tohru!" A familiar voice called out. Giving the kunoichi pause in her murder spree. They both turned to see an unmistakable head of spiky red hair come into view. Beside him were a familiar pair of crimson eyes. Just not the ones Tohru wished to see. These ones were ablaze with unmeasurable fury.

"You've got to stop this, Tohru! This isn't you!" Kirishima pleaded desperately.

"You think that stupid Copycat would want you to turn into this?!" Bakugou boomed beside him. They were both beat-to-hell with what appeared to be fatal injuries. Even still, instead of fighting her, they tried to convince her to stop this madness for herself. "You think he'd want to be brought back like _this?_"

Bakugou's words made the kunoichi hesitate. It helped that they sounded vaguely like Kyo. For a brief second, her crazed eyes became clear. But then an invisible attack landed on Tohru, breaking the spell. Angered, she grabbed hold of Hagakure and violently impaled her on a rusty pole jutting out of the pile of corpses.

Finished with that, she immediately set her sights on the two heroes. Throwing her hands up in their direction to thrust a giant wall of fire at them. Bakugou Immediately stepped in front of Kirishima to blast through her attack with the full power of his gauntlets. However, before either attack hit, an intense flurry of cherry blossom petals flooded into his dream. Successfully chasing away the remnants of his nightmare.

As his dream broke apart, Tsubasa heard a disembodied voice. "Wake up, Tsubasa. If you don't like what you see, _change it._" The feminine voice reminded him that this was merely a nightmare and nothing more. That he shouldn't take them too seriously since they weren't real visions of the future.

After what seemed like an eternity, Tsubasa finally managed to catch his breath. Wiping the sweat from his brow as his wings slowly laid flat against his back. The tips of them still ruffled up in a clear sign of distress. He glanced to his right and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the bed beside him empty. Luckily his insomniac roommate had a habit of staying up late to play videogames in the common room. The last thing the shinobi needed right then was for the previous general studies student to tell Aizawa about this little episode.

The brunette tenderly plucked a feather that had been knocked loose from his abrupt waking. A frown graced his face as he regarded the small copperish brown plume. The lighter orange coloring around the rim barely visible within the darkness of the room. His wings usually sprouted from his back the moment he fell asleep, a side-effect of his foresight abilities activating whenever he slept, but now they sheathed themselves instead. In their travels, this had never happened before. Not only that, but his eyes began to hurt the longer they stayed in this world. For the first time in his life, Tsubasa felt genuinely blind.

"I don't know what this sudden lapse in my abilities means for us, but I can't let this dispute between Kyo and I jeopardize our mission," the young dreamwalker whispered to himself. Committing himself to share what he experienced with his teammates to better plan what their next course of action should be.

**_Kirishima P. O. V. _**

The soothing smell of sage and sweetgrass, along with trace amounts of Midnight's Somnambulist quirk, gently filled the back office she used for her therapy sessions with a mesmerizing purple haze. This assortment of aromas was designed to help the students in her care relax, as well as become more at ease during this vulnerable and sometimes triggering experience. Despite the numerous scents filtering through the room, it was in no way overwhelming or overly distracting. The pleasant aroma was smoky with an underlying sweetness, reminiscent of freshly cut cedar being tossed onto a dwindling flame. A scent that never failed to soothe Kirishima after accompanying Bakugou on many of his family camping trips. A quick glance out of the corner of his eye revealed that his hot-headed friend also seemed put at ease by that familiar smell. A welcome treat after enduring a grueling test in English that had left the redhead with a mild migraine.

_Off to a good start, _Kirishima bemused himself. His mind absently recalled the events of the last few hours that led the duo here in the first place.

After the exam, the rest of the school day passed by in a blur. Everyone was too exhausted to engage in the usual class hijinks after spending hours diligently studying the night before. However, an unlucky few were rudely woken up from the mysterious ruckus that came from Bakugou's room in the wee hours of the morning.

Class-A's sleepy murmurings over breakfast recounted how what started off as a few occasional loud thumps quickly escalated to what sounded like full-on brawling with things smashing and breaking. Apparently, their class president had eventually attempted to put a stop to it the noise but had been scared off when two kunai lodged themselves through the door. Just barely missing his hand. That excessive response successfully thwarted any further attempts to get involved for the rest of the night.

A few brave souls tried to pry the information about what happened from the two hotheads throughout the day. While the rest of the class shamelessly eavesdropped. However, much to the dorm's disappointment, they both stayed tight-lipped about the incident. Only revealing that they'd be going off campus together this weekend for some obscure reason. Leaving it up to everyone's imagination to what possibly transpired between them.

Not even Kirishima knew the whole truth about the incident. Having felt it wasn't his place to ask. So he had held his tongue on the subject. But the entire situation left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had been looking forward to their sleepover for a couple weeks now since he'd been barred from leaving campus until his mental health improved. Despite this, Kirishima respected Bakugou's wishes knowing he'd only break his promise if he had a good reason to do so. Instead of intruding on Bakugou's personal business, Kirishima had simply requested that his friend accompany him to today's therapy session. Believing it would do Bakugou some good.

At least, the redhead had meant it to be a suggestion. It wasn't until the following morning when Kirishima reflected back on his actions that Kirishima realized that his hazed induced statement came off as an ultimatum.

Guilt immediately consumed the future hero for pressuring Bakugou into something he already felt uncomfortable with. Maybe if he wasn't so heavily drugged from his new sleeping pills, Kirishima could have been able to suggest it in a way that didn't seem so forceful. However, as Kirishima dwelled on his questionable actions. He had to admit there was one driving force that drove him to do what he did.

_He looked so...distraught last night._

Kirishima just couldn't shake the image of how troubled his friend had looked when he had snuck into his room that night. Even through the haziness of his mind, Kirishima recalled how Bakugou's hair had been messier than usual. That his clothes were clearly roughed up and also torn in some places as if from a scuffle. The redhead's drowsy eyes were drawn to the frown on Bakugou's face. His trademark scowl nowhere in sight within the room's dim lighting. Finally, there was the way his shoulders sagged slightly in on himself. As if being crushed by the weight of the world itself. Minor details that could easily be explained away or brushed off as something trivial by someone else.

But not to Kirishima.

Perhaps it was because the shark-toothed teen had grown exceptionally close with the angered teen this past year, that he was able to discern subtle discrepancies within Bakugou's tough-guy facade. To Kirishima, these inconsistencies were flags as angry and red as the eyes of their hot-tempered wielder.

Kirishima had only seen Bakugou like this once before. It had been the night Bakugou confided in him. With that thought in his head, Kirishima had blurted out that he wanted Bakugou to join him to his session with Midnight. Desperate for his friend to get the psychological help he needed. While Kirishima was honored, Bakugou had trusted him enough to confide in him about his traumatic experiences, the redhead knew he wasn't skilled enough to help him work through his trauma. Hell, he was having a hard enough time battling his own anxieties at the moment. They both needed professional guidance to help put the pieces of themselves back together again.

Kirishima was fully ready to argue the importance of Bakugou getting the treatment he needed if the blonde had refused his request. Still, to his surprise, Bakugou agreed rather quickly. A feat that worried him to no end. He couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that something monumental must have happened to Bakugou, aka the most stubborn person in the universe. That was the only rational conclusion for him to roll over so easily on something he'd been refusing to do for months.

_I hope whatever happened to him, we will be able to work through it, _Kirishima had whispered to himself as he led the ash-blonde through the halls. Trying his best to ignore the excited chatter of their classmates who were free to enjoy the start of their weekend on that uncharacteristically sunny afternoon. A therapy session wasn't the quality time Kirishima had been hoping for. Still, he hoped it will do them both some good regardless.

"Come on in boys. Take a seat," the R-rated hero greeted cheerfully when they let themselves into her makeshift office. She gestured a hand toward the comfy looking dark purple loveseat in front of her. At the same time, she remained seated in a regular computer chair. Two inviting ceramic mugs of freshly poured tea and a plate of cookies rested on the table between them.

Kirishima had already warned Midnight that he would be bringing Bakugou to their next session earlier in the day, which she thought was a marvelous idea. No doubt, she also believed the explosive hero could benefit from healthily working through his feelings. Her enthusiasm was evident in her spontaneous decision to replace the little beat-up chair the redhead had come to know in his past sessions. Replacing it with something a little more _"youthful."_

When Bakugou hesitated in the doorway, the Ball-of-Sunshine gave his shoulder a gentle nudge before walking toward the couch. The hothead visibly assessed his options with narrowed eyes before letting out a _"tch." _With a dramatic roll of his eyes, he trudged over to the empty spot on the couch with his hands buried deep in his pockets. His feet immediately propped themselves on the edge of the coffee table.

"Nuh-uh, feet off unless you want a beating," Midnight ordered with a hint of playfulness in her voice. She shook her faithful leather whip a couple times for good measure. Her tongue slowly licked her lips in delight. Daring Bakugou to disobey her.

Kirishima could practically hear the blonde's teeth grind together in agitation from where he sat beside his friend. His feet reluctantly dragged off their perch without a word. Bakugou's crimson eyes glared intently into their sensei's smug sky blue gaze as he did so.

_This is going to be a very long hour, _realized the poor Ball-of-Sunshine as he facepalmed at his friend's excessiveness.

After the initial exchange, the rest of the meeting continued rather smoothly. Their teacher started with light topics such as how their school work was going or their relationships with other students before divulging into more sensitive subjects. While the session mainly focused on Kirishima, Midnight did a commendable job, including Bakugou in the conversation, by asking him questions every now and then or giving him a chance to offer his thoughts on the advice she offered the redhead. This allowed the experience to feel like a casual conversation between colleagues instead of thrusting Bakugou straight into the nitty-gritty of revealing his deepest darkest fears to a stranger. It was a brilliant way to introduce him to the concept of therapy. One Kirishima knew his friend appreciated, with how his body slowly relaxed overtime when he realized the meeting wouldn't be directed at him for the time being.

_With some luck, Bakugou might feel comfortable enough to schedule his own therapy sessions, _Kirishima thought hopefully. A toothy grin on his face.

"How did English go today?" Midnight asked both of them before taking a sip of her tea. Her red nails stood out brightly against the muted green color of the mug. After a few moments, Midnight let out a satisfied sigh before continuing mischievously, "Mic. told me he prepared a '_doozy' _of an exam for you all."

In true Bakugou fashion, the hothead muttered an irritable, "It was the easiest thing I've taken all term," before the redhead had the chance to respond. The explosive teen had shifted in his seat a couple inches closer to the door as he spoke. His crimson eyes glanced toward the clock impatiently for what seemed to be the hundredth time. "Tell him to try harder."

Kirishima chuckled awkwardly at the ash-blonde's answer before offering his own response. "It was a little difficult for me. I didn't get the last question at all," he admitted as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Painfully aware of the growing distance between them. The corner of his smile twitched downward ever so slightly.

When they sat on the couch, Bakugou made sure to keep a respectable distance between them despite the small size of the loveseat. Kirishima tried not to take offense at that since he knew Bakugou didn't like them to be too close to each other in public. Especially in full view of a teacher. So the Ball-of-Sunshine forced a half-hearted smile to keep up appearances. But it still _hurt._ And it continued to _hurt_ with every shift further away and every glance at the clock.

_Is Bakugou that impatient to go home with Kyo after this?_

_"_You could work on your tact, young man," their purple-haired instructor scolded Bakugou bluntly.

She gently pulled at the thin material of her sleeve to allow a little more of the purple aroma that flowed from her body to mix into the air. At that amount, it wasn't potent enough to knock them out, but enough to lower their inhibitions ever so slightly. It was common for her to strengthen the dose of her quirk when she was prepared to delve deeper into more sensitive topics. It usually took some time to affect Kirishima at this quantity. However, since his body was still adjusting to his new anxiety medication, Kirishima already began to feel his eyelids droop, while his mind began to fall into a hypnotic trance.

In his stupor, Bakugou's retort and their teacher's equally heated response was lost on the redhead as his mind wander off without his consent. His thoughts fixated on reviewing the events of the day. More notably, how _off _Bakugou's actions seemed to be. Nothing like his usual mood of "_talk to me, and you're dead." _But instead, his friend tried to be as inconspicuous as possible. It was the most subdued Kirishima had ever seen him. Even counting the time after his kidnapping. It was as if Bakugou wasn't even there half the time. Doing everything in his power to distance himself from everyone else. The ash-blond just couldn't be bothered to engage with anything around him. The fact that he was actually participating in the therapy session was a miracle in itself.

Come to think of it, Kyo had been acting strange as well. After oversleeping a couple hours, missing homeroom entirely as a result. The shinobi seemed to have been putting in an exorbitant amount of effort into appearing as if nothing had happened between him and his explosive friend. Despite numerous people hearing some kind of racket coming from their room the night before. Whenever someone tried to ask Kyo about it, he would laugh off their questions and change the subject. His crimson eyes lacked their usual playfulness. It was as if the two teens had some kind of falling out.

_But if that were the case, why spend the weekend together?_

Kirishima's mind slowly became increasingly bitter when he began to dwell on his hurt feelings over their canceled plans. Ever since the class grew by four students, Bakugou and Kirishima barely had the chance to talk by themselves. While he adored Tohru and valued Kyo's friendship, he had been looking forward to some one-on-one time with his hot-headed..._ friend? _

The redhead still wasn't entirely sure what their relationship was yet. They hadn't had the chance to discuss it before their nightmares had started up again with renewed vigor. This hurt even more after witnessing Kyo and Tohru's romantic relationship firsthand. Kirishima wanted nothing more than to be open with his ambiguous relationship with Bakugou. Because of that, he was insanely jealous of _"Kyoru" _and the budding friendship between the explosive teens. Feeling like he was being pushed aside for a stranger made the sturdy hero's eyes sting with unshed tears.

_It's kind of my fault though, _Kirishima mused. Recalling how he lied to the blonde when he had checked in with him that morning. Bakugou looked like he hadn't slept a wink that night. The dark circles under his eyes stood out against his pale skin.

_Was he too stressed out to sleep again? Or did his nightmares come back while I slept on peacefully?_

Seeing Bakugou like that, the redhead couldn't help himself from trying to ease his worries. Kirishima wasn't proud of his actions by any means. Still, he casually brushed off to what degree the change in plans had actually hurt him. Choking back his disappointment with a fake smile plastered onto his face. However, Bakugou-the ever keen observer-didn't seem to believe him.

_He checked in with me repeatedly throughout the day, _Kirishima chastised himself. Guilt turning his stomach uncomfortably. It was apparent that Bakugou wanted to make sure that he was alright. That he cared about his feelings. Still, the redhead continued to lie through his monstrous teeth. Reassuring Bakugou that he was perfectly fine every single time it came up.

_I guess Midnight was right when she said I still had some self-worth issues that needed to be worked out. _

Bakugou must have seen through him because he promised to make it up to him when he returned on Sunday. Stating that the therapy session was only the beginning. Kirishima was too busy getting lost in an endless cycle of self-deprecation to notice that Midnight and Bakugou had finished their bout of insults and had continued on with the appointment.

"You boys have any exciting plans for the weekend?" she practically giggled, taking another sip of her tea. Her wild imagination probably daydreamed about some youthful adventure they might be doing to relax after a grueling week of hero work. Perhaps it was a good thing Midnight didn't know about their undefined relationship. "You both secured permission to leave campus together this weekend, correct?"

After UA established the dorm system, it was difficult to be granted permission to leave campus outside of school activities. You had to submit a request form two weeks in advance, which had to be signed by your homeroom teacher and another school administrator. You also had to be accompanied by at least one other student the entire length of the trip as a safety precaution. Because Midnight was in charge of gauging Kirishima's mental health, she had been required to sign off on his well being. The joyous redhead had chattered about potential plans the entire time she was signed off on it.

Still, under the effects of her quirk, which made him highly susceptible to questioning, Kirishima mumbled a glum, "Bakugou's going home with Kyo this weekend," before he had a chance to stop himself. The shock of his statement immediately snapped him back to reality. His hands instinctively slapped over his mouth in horror. But it was too late. The words were spoken with no way to take them back. His scarlet eyes trembled at the realization of what he'd just done.

_Bakugou's going to kill me… _he thought in horror, Not daring to sneak a glance to his right.

Midnight's expression fell. The slightest trace of a pout on her lips as she regarded them both thoughtfully for a moment. Kirishima's body sank a little further into the couch under her gaze.

"How come?" the seasoned hero inquired gently when neither boy offered an explanation.

"Something came up," Bakugou grumbled under his breath. Crossing his arms with an angry huff. Becoming increasingly defensive with her prying. The sofa cushions shifted underneath them from the movement, but Kirishima made no move to look up from his fixed gaze on his lap. Unable to bring himself to meet his classmate's fiery eyes. "So drop it."

"Oh, come now," Midnight scolded sternly, slamming her mug onto the table a little harder than she needed to. Her tone conveyed that she was not afraid to put a disruptive child in his place. Her sky-blue eyes narrowed slightly at the blonde. "It's healthy to talk these things out. In case you forgot, that's kind of how therapy works."

There was another _"Tsk," _from Bakugou, which she rolled her eyes at.

"Besides," she continued. "I was speaking to Kiri," she replied sweetly, bending over to pat her favorite patient's knee encouragingly. After a couple pats, her hand moved up to gently grip his chin to guide his gaze away from his lap.

"Eyes up, Kiri. Heroes have to keep their heads up," she replied with a reassuring smile.

However, the sentiment was lost on him since the action gave both boys an uncomfortably close look at her cleavage. The would-be-heroes immediately averted their gaze. Their cheeks burning a deep shade of red as they did so. The result forced them to hold awkward eye contact for the first time since Kirishima's initial outburst. The troubled crimson orbs staring back at him completely absent of any sort of anger. Only mild annoyance. Which was a relief, to say the least.

_Good, he's not angry!_

Midnight laughed at their reactions, breaking them out of their thoughts. "So, Bakugou, why the change in plans?" she inquired gently while refilling everyone's cups. Correct in her assumption that this was the blonde's decision. "You still have an Audiologist appointment, don't you? I know you're well aware that _you_ _especially _are not allowed to leave campus alone. "

Kirishima watched as his friend sink a little further into his seat under their expectant gaze. His face turned away from them, making it difficult to read his expression. Though it was clear from the way his shoulders tensed and how his finger tapped on the arm of the purple loveseat in intermittent intervals, that he wished he were anywhere but there.

"I know that," Bakugou finally answered after a long pause. Before anyone could ask a follow-up question, he continued, "I lost a bet with that damn copycat, so I have to take him home instead this time around. I'm only here now to make it up to Kirishima," Bakugou muttered. Finishing his statement by pointing a thumb at the redhead before placing his hand on the cushion between them. His face finally turned back to face them after his brief explanation.

_He's lying. _Kirishima realized with his mouth slightly agape. _But that can't be. Bakugou's not a liar! _

The explosive hero of their class was many things; stubborn, vindictive, and insanely tenacious, but a liar wasn't one of them. The explosive hero felt so strongly about stating the truth and staying true to himself that he put his own life in jeopardy when he was kidnapped. All because he refused to lie to put himself in a better position with his captors.

_What is he doing?_

The sturdy hero felt a slight dip on the sofa. His eyes looked down to see Bakugou's hand releasing its hold from where he had been intentionally disturbing the space between them. His fingers subtly crossed over each other. Their way of signaling to one another that they would explain something when they were in private.

Before Midnight had a chance to see his signal, he irritably snapped, "Now last I checked this session wasn't about putting me on blast." His arms immediately crossed above his head as he leaned back against the purple sofa. A leg coming up to rest across the other to complete his usual sitting position. "So hurry up and get to work on fixing Kiri."

The silence in the room after Bakugou's remark was deafening as everyone processed what he just said. Even the blonde seemed surprised by his own words. Midnight, of course, recovered first and squealed loudly at the hothead's slip of the tongue thanks to her quirk. While Kirishima couldn't stop himself from chuckling at how red Bakugou's cheeks turned from the embarrassment of saying Kirishima's nickname in public.

"Shut up!" Bakugou ordered angrily. "Stupid useless quirk!"

It took them a while to quiet down their laughter. When they finally did, Midnight continued by asking Kirishima how he'd been sleeping since their last session. She didn't mention his night terrors or him being prescribed anxiety and sleeping medication in case Bakugou wasn't aware of that. It was unnecessary in this case since the redhead had shared everything with Bakugou already. However, her consideration of his privacy made his heart flutter with happiness.

"I've been sleeping much better after taking the medication," Kirishima replied with a grin. He risked a glance at his classmate, who was listening with feigned indifference. Hoping to steer the conversation toward a productive topic, he continued with, "I still have nightmares, but they aren't as frequent or vivid as they were before."

The R-rated hero nodded at his statement. "That's to be expected. You've only been taking them for a couple weeks now," the dark-haired woman explained as she scribbled a quick note on her clipboard. Offering him a reassuring smile when she was finished. "Though I'm thrilled to hear that your dreams aren't as extreme as they were before. That's some amazing progress already."

Kirishima heard a soft annoyed snort from Bakugou. To him, anything slower than instant was unacceptable for this type of problem.

_It's hard to blame him when you consider what he's lived through._

Midnight quickly offered him a few tips on how Kirishima could deal with his nightmares in the future before they delved deeper into heavier topics. The redhead soaked up every bit of information she provided. Harnessing every once of his willpower to refrain from glancing at Bakugou as they discussed nightmares. Hoping that his friend was listening to her advice as intently as he was.

"Sweetie, could you tell us when your last nightmare was and what it was about?"

"I believe it was last week after I used my Unbreakable form during training," Kirishima replied after a brief moment of deliberation. That was definitely a low point in his training. The sturdy hero had stepped in to shield his teammates from one of Midoriya's supercharged kicks when he lost his footing and was thrown backward from the force. He was perfectly fine but ended up injuring Ojiro when he collided into him in that form. A quick trip to Recovery Girl later, and the tailed hero was back in tip-top shape. But it didn't help Kirishima feel like any less of a liability to his teammates. "I guess it triggered my memories of fighting Kendo Rappa?"

She scribbled another quick note on her clipboard. "Do you feel comfortable describing what happened during your dream for us?" she asked in a soothing tone.

The redhead nodded. Without missing a beat, he began to describe his experience fighting the villain in his Unbreakable form in as much detail as he could muster. He had already told Bakugou about the incident multiple times after exceptionally vivid night terrors. Even after hearing about it countless times, Bakugou still listened intently every single time he brought it up. Ready to offer support whenever he needed it.

Halfway through his retelling, Kirishima unconsciously brought his knees into his chest. His arms wrapped around to hold them against himself protectively. The growing lump in his throat caused the words to catch audibly every now and then as he recounted how in his dream, he fought alone. If either of the heroes noticed, they had the decency not to show it. Kirishima reluctantly explained how he felt outmatched without Fatgum there to support him. The result being his body and fighting spirit breaking under pressure. His nightmare continued on for what seemed like forever as he was beaten to a bloody pulp. Leaving him feeling completely useless long after he'd finally woken up.

Trying to stay positive, the redhead forced a small smile onto his face. "I'm so thankful for all the friends I've made at UA. They're all so supportive of me," Kirishima admitted as he rested his chin on his knees. His arms tightened around himself slightly. "They've all pushed me to better myself. I never would have gotten as strong as I have without them encouraging me along the way."

He shifted his gaze to his best friend. "In fact, Bakugou was the one who helped me come up with my Unbreakable form in the first place. If it wasn't for him and everyone else, I don't think I would still be here today," he admitted quietly. A sad smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a hint of pink coloring Bakugou's face.

"It's important to have a network of people you can trust and rely on," Midnight praised in a soothing tone. Her hand straightened an old photo of her, Aizawa, Present Mic, and another boy Kirishima didn't recognize, back in their UA days on the table in front of them. "It's equally important for you to be there for them as well."

"I know… and I try my best to be there for everyone when I can," Kirishima whispered back somberly. A dark shadow fell across his face as he remembered how his attempts to help Bakugou resulted in his nightmares coming again worse than before. Suddenly finding it hard to make direct eye contact with either of them, his gaze fell to the floor.

"Is anything else worrying you, sweetie?" Midnight questioned, noticing his change in expression.

Not wanting to reveal Bakugou's nightmares to her without the blonde's permission, he reluctantly focused the conversation on himself. "It's just-I can't shake the feeling that I'm not progressing as fast as everyone else. If I can't keep up, I feel that everyone will eventually leave me behind," Kirishima admitted over the lump in his throat.

"I've already told you that's not going to happen!" Bakugou snapped, whirling to face him. His igniting fist slammed against the arm of the loveseat. Scorching a perfect ring into the new material much to Midnight's disappointment.

"How do you know that?" Kirishima asked so quietly they had to strain to hear him. His voice cracking slightly while his body curled in on itself even further. Recognizing his own self-worth had always been his most significant shortcoming. The familiar sensation of his old self trying to drag him back down into the endless abyss of depression that ruled over his middle school day's tightened its hold over him.

The redhead was startled back to reality when a steady hand roughly yanked his arm away from himself. "Knock it off, Shitty-Hair!" Bakugou ordered, his voice slightly distressed.

However, instead of the hothead's words, Kirishima was focused on the drops of crimson that rolled off the hardened tips of his fingers. He hadn't realized that he had activated his quirk in his vulnerable emotional state to absently scratch the top of his hand while he spoke. His extremely capable nails made quick work of his hand, which was now slick with blood.

"Stop shitting yourself!" the explosive hero chided harshly. His eyes practically on fire with how furious he was. Bakugou tightened his grip on his wrist until Kirishima released the effects of his quirk. "Do you honestly think that any of those idiots would ever leave you alone? Hell, I've been trying everything I can think of to chase them off for the better part of a year. Only to be surrounded by even more sidekicks of all hours of the day!"

"Bakugou-" The R-rated hero warned. Straightening up in her seat to rein in the hot-tempered teen, only to be rudely cut off by him.

"Besides," he interjected, his voice growing louder as if to forcibly drill his words through his hard-headed friend. "In case you forgot, you're one of the strongest members of our class. One of the only ones to ever get a consistent win over me in training. You doubting your abilities indirectly undermines the quality of mine. Are you saying I'm a fucking weakling?" he challenged through grit teeth.

"W-what? Of course not!" Kirishima stammered. Having trouble following the blonde's statements.

"Damn straight," Bakugou smirked. Finally releasing his hold on the other teen's wrist. His crimson eyes softened ever so slightly. "So by that logic, you aren't one either."

In a somber tone, Bakugou added, "I don't associate with weaklings. I never want to hear you say that you don't have what it takes to be a hero ever again. You got that?"

Kirishima could only nod.

_Bakugou…_

"Again, your delivery could use some work Bakugou, but for the most part, I agree with your sentiment," Midnight sighed after a moment of awkward silence. She calmly pulled a first aid kit from under her chair. This, unfortunately, wasn't the first time that Kirishima had accidentally activated his quirk when overly emotional. So she was better prepared to deal with incidents like this when they transpired. As Midnight tenderly cleaned and wrapped his wound, she continued to build off the statements Bakugou had previously made.

"Kirishima, listen to us. You are very much appreciated by those around you. I want you to trust their judgment of you as a person until you are better equipped to recognize it for yourself."

Her gaze then shifted to regard both teens at once. "No one in this world can truly survive by themselves. The relationships we make throughout our lives inspire us to be something better than what we are. I want you both to remember that it's not a sign of weakness to depend on others. Understand?"

"Yes," they both answered, though at different levels of enthusiasm.

Finishing her role as medic Midnight decided to change the topic to a lighter subject for the remainder of their shared appointment. The pro-hero deciding to return to this issue when Bakugou wasn't present. "Now, then, how about we finish our session by discussing how you're both getting along with your new classmates?" Midnight asked cheerfully as she packed up her medical kit.

Kirishima perked up a little at this. Anything to distract him from dwelling on himself was always ideal. "I've really enjoyed their company so far," he answered with a genuine smile. He summarized for their teacher that he had gotten a few fighting pointers from Tsubasa. That he enjoyed hanging out with Kyo after class, but mostly that he absolutely adored Tohru.

"Something is soothing about her. She seems to spread happiness wherever she goes."

The redhead felt a shift to his right. Glancing in that direction, he saw his explosive friend's scowl had returned to his face. His arms were crossed in front of him instead of in his pockets like they usually were.

_What's his deal? Does he have a problem with Tohru now too?_

Noticing this change as well, Midnight immediately asked for the explosive hero's opinion. "How about you, Bakugou? How do you feel about them?"

Kirishima had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. It was a terrible habit he had picked up from Bakugou over the last few months. Everyone knew that the ash-blonde's default response usually dripped with dangerous levels of sarcasm.

_Come on, we know he's going to say something like them being annoying like the rest of the class. _However, what the ash-blonde responded next was anything but expected.

Bakugou remained silent for a few seconds. His lips pursed tightly into a scowl. With a huff, he hooked his foot around one of the straps of their school bags, pulling them closer to use as an impromptu footrest. His hands once again finding their way into his pockets. Bakugou then slouched further into his seat, something Kirishima had come to understand meant he felt uncomfortable.

The future hero basically had two functions in any social situation. He would either explode in an attempt to cover up his emotions, or he would become quiet and super docile. Doing everything in his power to blend into the background as if to hide from whatever made him anxious. That was what Bakugou was doing now. Feigning an indifferent attitude so no one would discover the anxieties which hid just beneath the surface.

"Everything about them is fucking irritating," Bakugou finally answered. His voice coming out as a low growl to disguise any irregular fluctuations. There was a slight movement in his pockets from him balling his fists. "Their personalities, their powers, and their bizarre presence here-" his crimson eyes widened for a fraction of a second as if just realizing what he just uttered.

"-at a hero school I mean," he clarified a little too quickly.

Midnight sighed at this. "Yes, their presence here has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way," she admitted reluctantly. Her fingers laced together in front of her, making the handcuffs on her wrists clink softly with the movement. "Aizawa's received no end of headaches bringing them here. But he believed it to be necessary, so I trust in his judgment."

"Trust is different than blind faith. Did he happen to tell you why he's brought them here?" Bakugou spat back. Irritation made his hair stand on end slightly. Reminiscent to the way Kyo's does when he's worked up. The hot-head continued, "Or are you in the dark as much as the rest of us?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kirishima questioned. Deciding to step in before Bakugou and Midnight could get caught up in another argument. He rested a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him down. "Come on, man, this isn't the place to pick a fight."

However, their teacher wasn't provoked by Bakugou's remarks. "It's alright, Kirishima," the R-rated hero replied, raising a hand to call off the redhead. Signaling to him that she'll take it from there. "What's this really about Bakugou? What's actually troubling you about them?" she asked carefully.

The explosive teen immediately backed off. Not wanting to answer a question that revealed how he actually felt. Most likely realizing that it was Midnight's quirk that had made him more talkative than usual. Kirishima had noticed how the blonde's eyes had steadily drooped as time went on.

"Nothing-" he tried to lie, but was interrupted.

"Nuh-uh, you don't get to brush this off, Bakugou," Midnight cut in sternly with a wave of her finger. She leaned forward in her chair until only the blonde was within her immediate line of sight. If it had been anyone else, she might have laid an encouraging hand on their knee. But this was Bakugou we were talking about, so she kept her hands to herself. "You've been hyper-aware of their presence ever since they've arrived at UA. Don't think we teachers haven't noticed."

The intensity of her sincere sky-blue eyes chased off Bakugou's agitated crimson gaze. His eyes flickered to Kirishima for a second in search of support. He looked utterly torn. The explosive hero obviously needed to vent but didn't have the foggiest idea of how to start. Kirishima gave him an encouraging nod. Letting him know if he needed to get something off his chest, this would be the place to do it. So with an exasperated sigh, Bakugou turned back to their teacher.

"Bakugou, why do you find them so irritating?" She repeated, replicating his choice of words. Taking the time to transfer the various items off her lap to the table between them.

The hothead glared at her silently before reluctantly muttering, "They aren't _heroes_." His tone, however, sounded like he was asking a question rather than answering one. One he should have known the answer to already since he declared as much on their first day. "So why the hell were they brought to a school for heroes?"

The energy in the room suddenly shifted. The air thick with a tension Kirishima couldn't place. His head dumbly looked from one to the other as he became a confused spectator caught between two rival forces.

"No, they aren't heroes. At least not in a conventional way," Midnight answered carefully. Her eyes studied the blonde's face intensely. Judging from her expression, she had been made aware of Bakugou's previous outburst about Shinobi during their initial introduction. There was a slight tensing of her shoulders as she mentally prepared herself to dive deeper into the conversation. "Though at the moment they are responsible for overseeing your training to become the best heroes you all can be. That in itself sounds fairly _heroic_ to me."

Bakugou rolled his eyes at that. "Is that what you actually believe? Or is that something Aizawa told you to say?" Bakugou barked back.

She ignored his question. "It seems like you're angrier with Aizawa than you are with your new classmates," Midnight countered deviously.

"Don't pretend that you know anything about me. I've got enough anger to be annoyed by the whole lot of them," snapped the blonde. His teeth grinding together in a combination of anger and frustration. "They're hiding something from everyone. They should know that nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets."

"It almost sounds like you speak from experience." The R-rated hero insinuated with a soft laugh. A hint of a knowing smile forming across her features. Bakugou immediately bristled in his seat at her words. His explosion quirk sparked to life lightly across palms in response. Kirishima tried his best to look inconspicuous as well, but he could feel nervous sweat collect on his forehead. After a few uncomfortable seconds, she let out a dismissive laugh, "Relax Bakugou, I was only teasing!"

The ash-blonde didn't appreciate that jab at all. Sulking, Bakugou slunk a little further into his chair, intending to keep his mouth shut to prevent him from further incriminating himself. But their teacher wasn't about to let him get away without voicing his anxieties.

"Are you going to tell me what has you so riled up willingly? Or am I going to have to use more of my quirk to make you more compliant?" Midnight threatened. Her eyes still scanned him thoroughly for any clues to explain his out of character behavior.

Red eyes narrowed skeptically at her. Probably wondering if she would really break the school policy prohibiting teachers from the excessive use of their quirk on a student. It seemed that Bakugou didn't put it past her, which was probably a wise choice all things considered. Kirishima could see the gears turning in his head as he determined the best way to phrase his answer. "You don't think it's a little problematic for UA to associate with individuals that killfor a living?"

"Not if doing so helps protect our students. Besides, their profession isn't the only aspect that defines them as people," The R-rated hero began cautiously, taking a sip of her mostly cold tea. She made a face at the bitter flavor, then placed the mug down gently. "They're still in training just like the two of you. And just like you, their lives can easily go in many different directions."

The ash-blonde's eye twitched in irritation at her nonchalant response. "Are you saying that you think it's acceptable to_ kill _people? _Honorable_ even?"

"I don't recall ever saying that," the dark-haired woman interjected. Preventing her student from putting words in her mouth. "But to answer your question, I believe it's sometimes unavoidable."

This answer didn't seem to sit well with Bakugou, for his scowl deepened.

Worried about his friend Kirishima spoke up, "Come on, Bakugou, what does this have to do with Kyo and the others?" he asked baffled. Perhaps it was Midnight's quirk affecting his train of thought, but Bakugou seemed to be making less sense by the second.

_If he has such a problem with them, why would he willingly leave campus with Kyo this weekend?_

"It has everything to do with them!" the explosive hero answered, turning toward the redhead. His hands unconsciously coming out of his pockets to wipe some of the excess sweat from his palms. "UA has been getting outsmarted by villains at every turn, don't you think it's a little risky to bring strangers into our midst?"

"But we know them, they aren't killers! They're just like us!" Kirishima argued back. Ready to defend their new friends to the bitter end. Without meaning to, the redhead bared his sharp teeth to make himself look more threatening to emphasize his point. That, coupled with Kirishima raising his voice, managed to take the blonde back for a second. He recovered quickly, though. Coming back at full force.

"I'm not doubting their character!" Bakugou argued back. "It's their profession that's fucked up."

"Are you afraid of them?" Midnight inquired, inserting herself in their argument.

"Of course not!" Bakugou yelled as he whirled toward her.

She rolled her eyes at his outburst. Making an exaggerated gesture of unplugging her ears from the sudden spike in volume. "Do you think they are evil?"

"No, that's not it!" Bakugou growled. Growing increasingly frustrated with not being able to find the right words for what he was feeling. Bottling his emotions for 16 years, doing him no favors in this instance. Movement caught the redhead's eye. Glancing down, Kirishima saw that Bakugou's knuckles were white with how hard they gripped his knees. The sturdy hero shot him a concerned look that told him to take it easy.

The blonde _"tsked" _at him but eventually let out a long angry breath before continuing, "I've spent enough time with them to know that they aren't evil," Bakugou explained slowly. His voice was full of irritation, but also with a hint of another emotion, Kirishima couldn't quite place. "That quirk copycat is an idiot, but also too loyal for his own good. The girl, on the other hand, cares for the stray cat living behind the dorms, so she obviously doesn't have an evil bone in her body. That leaves Feathers, who is the definition of unending patience since he can deal with Deku's nonstop rambling."

The R-rated hero was briefly shocked into stunned silence. Caught off guard by his detailed testimony. "Then what's the problem?" she asked completely baffled.

"My _problem _is that they are basically weapons for hire. If they contract themselves out to the wrong people, they could be forced to carry out tasks of mass destruction. And no one seems concerned about this. Not even them," Bakugou practically growled.

It was then that it hit them. Bakugou wasn't worried that they might _become _a deadly threat to them. He was worried _about _them. Concerned how the role that they were assigned might affect them in the future. Worried that they weren't cut out for the type of work they had made their life's mission. His interpretation of them as people contradicted the concept of the human weapons they were supposed to be. Therefore convincing him that they were going to suffer someday because of it.

At some point in the last month, Bakugou had accidentally befriended these strangers. Individuals he swore he didn't want anything to do with because of the role they played in society. The explosive hero had convinced himself he was disgusted by their _supposed _disregard for human life. However, when Bakugou was forced into close proximity with them, he realized they had as much humanity as the rest of them.

This realization must have terrified Bakugou. It contradicted what his idea of a hero was. More problematic, it made him realize that the villains he hated with every fiber of his being, might harbor a shred of humanity as well. Bakugou's perception of what a hero was had always been a significant part of his identity and the trio's very confusing existence had just rocked it to its core.

Meanwhile, Kirishima sat dumbfounded at the scene which unfolded before him. The redhead never imagined that Bakugou would share so much of himself during his first-ever therapy appointment. Especially not on a topic like this. The sturdy hero wasn't sure if he should be proud of Bakugou for opening up or concerned that he had more issues that he wasn't even aware existed. Kirishima had been jealous of Bakugou and Kyo's fast friendship, but who could imagine he harbored these confusing feelings about Kyo as well.

How could I not know that Bakugou was struggling this whole time?

The sudden movement of Bakugou's hands balled into fists on his knees caught Kirishima's attention.

"At the same time. I can't exactly ignore that killing is what villains do," Bakugou proceeded to explain quietly. The blonde's once fiery eyes, now troubled and glared at his combat boots. Stubbornly refusing to meet any of their concerned gazes. It was a level of vulnerability Kirishima doubted any faculty member had ever witnessed before. It made him wonder how much of this was due to Midnight's somnambulist quirk or the weight of Bakugou's growing list of anxieties.

"If UA is a place for Heros, shouldn't we hate the very sight of them?" Bakugou asked no one in particular. The question was phrased like he was asking on behalf of other heroes, but it didn't take a genius to realize he was speaking about himself. On the surface, his voice was neutral, but to the redhead, it sounded uncertain. A completely foreign concept for him.

Kirishima wished more than anything that he had the words that his friend needed to hear right then. To be able to reassure him in some way, _anyway_. But his mind was a complete blank. The shark-toothed teen felt his hardened fingers effortlessly dig into the cushions in frustration at his inability to help his friend. If only consoling, Bakugou was as easy as destroying furniture. The redhead turned to their teacher, hoping she would be able to provide the answers he lacked.

Midnight's expression was difficult to read as she gathered her thoughts together for a response. She rested her chin on top of her intertwined fingers while she regarded them. It almost looked as though she were staring at something past their shoulders despite nothing noticeable being there. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally spoke up.

"Bakugou, you're a smart boy. It's hard to believe that someone with an eye for color can only see the world in shades of black and white," their modern art history teacher smiled. Referring to the photographs he had turned in for a final project last semester. In true Bakugou fashion, it had contradicted everything the pro-hero had taught that quarter. Still, it had impressed her all the same. Earning him the highest score in the class. Something he bragged about to the whole dorm by taping his project to the communal refrigerator. Bakugou continued to stare at his feet, but the tips of his ears began to turn pink with her words.

"You interned with Best Jeanist, correct?" She asked suddenly, leaning back in her computer chair.

"What if I did?" he answered defensively.

"He has a great track record of mentoring students. I can tell he's influenced your view of what makes a hero." Midnight praised in a soothing voice. "What ideology did he instill in you?"

Crimson orbs finally raised to meet her stare. "He told me that Heroes and Villains are two sides of the same coin," Bakugou answered in a neutral tone. The muscles in his crossed arms relaxed a degree as understanding spread across his face.

"Precisely, " Midnight praised cheerfully. "When it comes down to it, Heroes and Villains are actually remarkably similar. But it's how we choose to act in any situation that truly defines us as individuals."

The explosive hero contemplated her words in thoughtful silence.

Relieved that he was taking her words to heart, she continued. "Bakugou, I know that the shinobi's presence here is forcing you to reevaluate your views. That it can feel like a detrimental blow to your identity for a belief you've cultivated your entire life to be challenged so abruptly. But I want you to understand that people seldom fall neatly into a single category."

"That being said, I don't believe that killing automatically makes someone a villain. There have been incidents where heroes have been responsible for taking life, just like there have been instances of villain's saving people on occasion. It's important to remember that one trait or act does not define a person. And that one's opinion of a person is not the same for everyone."

Both teens were stared at her intently now. Soaking up her words eagerly.

"Take All Might, for example. To most people, he was the Symbol of Peace. A true hero in the hearts of millions," their teacher proceeded, motioning to a poster of the previous Number One Hero. Too busy with her explanation to notice that Bakugou frowned at the past tense of her statement. "However, to the League of Villains, All Might served as the Symbol of Oppression that they wished to overthrow. To them, he was a _"villain" _that needed to be conquered. In that respect, we are all heroes and villains in the eyes of any given person."

A comfortable silence filled the room as her words resonated in their minds. The last of the sage had burned off a long time ago, leaving a lingering scent in its wake.

"This seems like a good enough spot as any to end our session," Midnight announced with a glance at the clock. Kirishima turned to check the time himself, and sure enough, they had gone over their allotted time by 15 minutes. The R-rated hero was just about to dismiss them for the day when Bakugou spoke up unexpectedly.

"Sensei," he began, surprising them both for sudden use of an honorific to address her. "How much do you know about them? Do you trust them?" Bakugou asked while his finger tapped the arm of the loveseat. The previous accusing and condescending tone absent from his voice.

"I don't know a lot about Binoshi or the Shinobi they train," Midnight admitted, leaning back in her chair. She, of course, didn't owe them a response at all since this was sensitive information. However, the pro-hero ultimately decided it was necessary for them to move forward. "But from what I've heard, their training was crueler than we could ever hope to understand. It honestly a miracle they are as cheerful as they are. A normal person should've been crushed under the weight of such hardships by now, but for whatever reason, they haven't. From what I've witnessed, I believe them to be genuinely good people."

Bakugou regarded her for a long moment then gave her a curt nod. Determining that she was telling the truth, though he still looked like he had his doubts.

"If that's everything, I'd like to end with one final question," Midnight announced. Her gaze fixed on Bakugou, who just glared back at her silently. "If you have such conflicting thoughts concerning Kyo, why did you agree to bring him home for the weekend?" the R-rated hero questioned. Her eyes kind as she regarded her new patient thoughtfully.

"I wanted to see for myself that he's who he claims to be," Bakugou answered with renewed determination. "That he's not just some mindless tool to be ordered around. That he has a will of his own."

_That's one way to go about it, I guess?_

"I can't exactly say I condone your decision to go through with this, but I won't stop you," She admitted. Holding a hand up to stop Bakugou when he showed signs of protesting. "That being said, can I offer you some advice?"

He remained silent. Only raising an eyebrow at her in response.

Midnight took his silence as a sign to continue. "I would encourage you to speak with Kyo. Try to understand why he became a shinobi and what his philosophies are. If you couple that knowledge with your previous interactions with him, instead of his background, you'll be able to gauge what kind of person he truly is. In the end, Bakugou, it's _you _who must decide what his character is, not me, not Aizawa, not even Kirishima. Promise me you'll take these words to heart?"

Bakugou rolled his eyes but gave a reluctant nod.

Midnight smiled at that. Her face looked drained all of a sudden. She then gestured a hand to finally dismiss them. It only took a few moments to gather their possessions after their initial stretch. Kirishima's muscles were extremely sore from sitting for so long. He had just stepped out into the hall when he sensed Bakugou stop short of the door.

The redhead turned around to see him with his hands in his pockets. An unreadable expression on his face. The blonde then looked over his shoulder to offer their teacher one last statement. "I don't doubt that Aizawa had a reason for bringing them here, and maybe he thinks he's protecting everyone by keeping it a secret from us. But what he's really conveying is that he doesn't trust us with the truth."

Bakugou's crimson eyes hardened dangerously. "If he continues to treat us with kid gloves, he's actually encouraging a lack of communication between teachers and students alike. So tell him to get off his high horse and fill the rest of us in on his plan."

"I'll be sure to pass on the message," Midnight promised, glancing somewhere past them.

With that, Bakugou finally left to join Kirishima in the hall. Where he was immediately bombarded with questions from his redheaded friend. Too busy talking to notice that a shadowy figure had snuck into the room they just exited.

**_Bakugou P. O. V. _**

The halls of UA were eerily quiet when they exited the teacher's lounge. Only the occasional student from the Support or Business courses passed by them as they made their way back to the dorms. The ash-blonde tried not to dwell on the fact that the other sidekicks had already started their weekend. Either by making last-minute arrangements before heading off-campus for the weekend or helping to set up for their classes weekly game/movie night.

_So glad I'm missing that._

Despite the lack of people shuffling around the halls, Bakugou found the world too loud and bright for its own good. The after-effects of their teacher's Somnambulist quirk left his mind feeling hazy and disoriented as if coming out of a bad dream. If he had ever experimented with alcohol, he might have compared it to being hungover.

_This fucking sucks, _Bakugou cursed to himself as his fingers squeezed the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure of his migraine. Just what he needed before his excursion with Kyo.

It could have been worse, he supposed. He could have accidentally spilled the trio's otherworldly secret to Midnight instead of extracting information from her. Bakugou hadn't expected her quirk to affect his body so strongly at such a low dose. Still, after being exposed to it for so long, it eventually slipped past his defenses.

_It's a good thing she sucked at asking questions, _the explosive hero scowled to himself. Referencing how Midnight prioritized his mental wellbeing over pursuing the truth behind his many jabs toward her and Aizawa. She wasn't incompetent by any means. Of all the teachers at UA, she was only a few steps behind All Might and Aizawa on Bakugou's respect scale after all the time and effort she put into helping Kirishima. Because of this, he knew that their teacher must have seen right through him as he prodded her for information.

"That bitch!" Bakugou cursed under his breath.

"Dude, that's no way to talk about a teacher!" The redhead beside him scolded in a hushed tone. He looked around frantically to make sure no one had overheard. Not that it mattered. Bakugou would gladly repeat it loudly if anyone had the guts to confront him about it. His face must have conveyed as much because Kirishima immediately pouted cutely at him. "Fine, whatever. Let's just head back before Mina organizes a search party for us."

They passed the first part of their walk with pleasant small talk. Bakugou's mind steadily cleared up a little more with each step. By the time the brisk December air hit their exposed faces, it felt as though the rest of the lingering effects had been expelled out of their minds. The hothead stopped to take in a few deep breaths. Relishing in the comforting feeling of being free of Midnight's influence.

"So, what did you think about the therapy session?" Kirishima asked, breaking into his thoughts. One of his fingers scratched at his chin sheepishly, which highlighted the fresh bandages that wrapped around his hand. "I know it got a little intense at times, but I swear Midnight knows what she's doing. And she's normally not so forceful either."

Bakugou tore his eyes away from the redhead's injury. "It wasn't the worst thing I've ever done," he admitted irritably. While the future hero didn't appreciate Midnight dissecting his mind and forcing him to talk about his emotions. Bakugou couldn't deny she provided some much-needed information for both of them.

**_Flashback _**

Shitty-hair had just successfully steered the conversation to the topic of nightmares. Bakugou was actually impressed that he managed to keep his voice level when doing so. However, the intensity in which he stared at Midnight as she spoke to them was painfully evident that he was desperately trying not to look at Bakugou. Hopefully, their teacher would chalk that up to him, focusing all his energy on cataloging all the information being unloaded onto them. Again, the lengths Kirishima went to aid his friends surprised Bakugou. It was completely unnecessary in this case. But also very endearing... in an annoying sort of way.

The ash-blonde pretended not to notice his friend's actions. Instead, opting to slouch in his seat, acting bored out of his mind, as he carefully memorized everything being said. Every now and then, he snuck a glance at the R-rated hero to see if she were taking any particular notice of him or not. As far as he could tell, Midnight had been too preoccupied with examining Kirishima's mental health to pay much attention to him. Which was to be expected, but still managed to piss him off.

Bakugou had rolled his eyes at her roundabout way of asking if the redhead still suffered from night terrors. Despite her prescribing him two different types of anxiety and sleeping medications. He understood that she did that to be considerate of his privacy, but what was the point? The whole class knew Kirishima had mandatory therapy sessions after the incident a couple months ago. At least everyone had the decency of keeping their mouth shut about it in front of Kirishima. Bakugou had seen to that after drop-kicking that disgusting grape onto the roof after hearing him make snide comments about it in passing.

Bakugou had to suppress an annoyed grunt.

_As if I don't know everything there is to know about him. The idiot's an open book._

"How about we discuss some techniques to wake-or calm yourself-in the event you find yourself in another nightmare?" Midnight had suggested after confirming how Kirishima had been sleeping lately.

"Can you really do that?" Kirishima asked in a puzzled tone. Jolting Bakugou back to reality. It had never occurred to the blonde that he would be able to wake himself up from a dream. He cursed himself for shifting slightly in his seat at the notion. Hoping no one noticed the momentary chink in his indifferent appearance.

_Was there really a way to make nightmares go away?_

Her lips pressed together into a hard line for a moment. "These techniques are not a magical fix. They will take some effort to accomplish, and there is no guarantee they will work for you at all. But they could, at the very least, remind you that what you are experiencing isn't real," she cautioned. Her blue eyes studying the eager face of her charge, who nodded in understanding.

Midnight explained that the first and most crucial step was to become lucid in their dreams. That if they couldn't recognize that they were dreaming, then they would be unable to effectively put these methods into practice. To establish if something were a dream, the pro-hero instructed them to pay extra close attention to their surroundings. _Does anything feel off? Are the laws of physics behaving as they're supposed to? Are individuals depicted acting out of character? _

The R-rated hero warned them that nightmares that stem from traumatic events were, unfortunately, harder to dismiss as regular nightmares. _Shit, _Bakugou cursed bitterly when he heard that.

Because these nightmares stemmed from fear, the brain often distorted the experience or blocked out specific details overtime to protect itself from further harm. However, because of this, they often came with a sense of dejavu, which could then be used to snap themselves into lucidness by correctly predicting events as they happened.

Realizing that it might be painful, she gently encouraged them to inspect these events thoroughly to see if they were happening exactly as they remembered. If situations were warped or worsened, then it will most likely be a dream.

"If you get the inclination that you might be dreaming, I want you to vocalize that assumption. Saying this will focus your mind squarely on apprehending if you are in a dream or not," Midnight explained cautiously. Her eyes searched for any sort of distress on the teenagers' faces. "At this point, you should instinctively get a better grasp on your mind. Your brain should automatically begin to point out flaws in that reality with earnestness. At that time, your next priority is to wake up."

"And how's he supposed to do that?" Bakugou asked impatiently. Startling Kirishima slightly with the abruptness of his statement. It seemed that the redhead was too busy soaking up the information to relay back to him later that he had forgotten that Bakugou was there as well.

Midnight regarded Bakugou for a long moment before answering his question, which made him uneasy, but he willed his face not to show it. _"Kiri _has multiple options," she replied in a neutral tone, but there was a hint of a smirk on her face, which pissed him off tremendously. She casually leaned back into her seat while simultaneously crossing her legs as she spoke. "The easiest option would be to concentrate on waking up while blinking repeatedly. Using as much willpower as he can muster. Though if this fails, there are many other options to choose from."

She listed off the other possibilities at Kirishima's disposal. From focusing energy on reading something like a book or sign since studies have proven that people have trouble reading in their dreams. Apparently, continuously concentrating on words activated the part of the brain that disabled REM sleep. If that failed, the pro-hero advised them to try to take control of the dream themselves, for it was their mind after all. To exert their will toward changing the dream or at least turning the scenario in their favor.

"What about falling? I heard that sometimes wakes people up," Kirishima offered in between techniques.

The pro-hero shook her head. "I wouldn't advise it," she answered carefully.

"Why not?" Bakugou muttered back.

She let out a heavy sigh. "While falling from a high vantage point or even dying might wake you up in theory, it's not practical in our profession," Midnight warned in a guarded tone. "I don't want you to grow accustomed to any sort of self-harm to wake up from nightmares. Not only would that have a negative effect on your psyche over time, but it could put your life in danger if you were to ever be hit by a villain's quirk that puts you in a trance. That type of harmful conditioning could very well get you killed someday. Do you understand?"

Both teens mumbled an obedient, "Yes."

"If all else fails. Your last option is to wait until the dream ends," she admitted sadly, resting a hand on each of their knees. Bakugou had to fight his instinct to pull away from the comforting touch. Midnight's reassuring gaze regarded them both in such a way that Bakugou was convinced she had seen through his indifferent facade.

"It's not ideal, but waiting is all you can do in that scenario. It'll be painful, but I want you to remember that those images can't harm you."

**_End of Flashback _**

"Thanks again for coming with me, Bakugou. It really meant a lot," Kirishima chirped happily. His smile was so bright that Bakugou had to look away or risk being blinded by it.

"It was no big deal," he muttered back. Silently berating himself for belittling what the redhead just said. Though it didn't look like the Ball-of-Sunshine noticed at all.

Kirishima grinned even bigger. "That's great to hear!" He praised utterly oblivious. Shitty-hair then shuffled awkwardly from one foot to the other. "Do you think you might schedule your own appointment sometime?" he asked hopefully.

Bakugou shoved his cold hands into his pockets. "I think I'll hold off for a little while longer," he finally replied.

He had been dreading that question ever since they left the teachers' lounge. It had weighed heavily in the air above them as they walked. Deep down, Bakugou knew that therapy would be beneficial for him. To be able to confide in a professional about being tortured by the League, the guilt he felt towards All Might's sudden retirement, and now the controversial role the trio played in society. If only Bakugou didn't have so much other shit piled on his plate right then. He was having a hard enough time trying to keep track of everyone's dangerous secrets. The last thing he needed was someone rifling through his head where they could possibly stumble upon the truth of One For All or the existence of other worlds. Bakugou needed some time to get a better handle on his life before he was ready to book another session.

Kirishima's smile faltered at his words, which hurt more than the blonde wished to admit. This idiotic mess of crimson hair was definitely going to be the death of him.

With an irritated sigh, he hastily added, "I'll try that BDSM freak's dreaming tips first and see if those help any before I go back there again."

The redhead instantly perked up. "Thanks for giving it a chance, Bakugou," Kirishima thanked, starting to walk again.

He shot him a grin so huge that it was difficult to believe that it belonged to the same guy who had been so emotional he had accidentally injured himself with his own quirk not but 30 minutes earlier.

The explosive hero had experienced countless of his friend's night terrors first hand. Seen the severity of them as he helped calm him down, talked through them and offered a sense of stability as the other teen slowly fought off his panic. Because of this, Bakugou wrongly assumed that he understood how badly Kirishima had been suffering better than anyone else. It was only when he witnessed Kirishima's hardening quirk activating on its own and used to injure himself without the redhead even noticing, that Bakugou grasped how clueless he truly was about his condition. It was stupid of Bakugou to assume he knew everything about the redhead when he still kept many secrets from him as well.

_This just proves that none of us are perfect._

The class knew Kirishima was struggling psychologically after his internship, but only a select few knew how deep that darkness dwelled inside him. A glimmer of it could be seen on his face when one of his new techniques fell short of his goals, or another classmate pulled further ahead. Even still, the Ball-of-Sunshine continued to go out of his way to boost his classmates to reach new heights. He didn't allow it to hold him down. Putting everyone's happiness above himself. Whether that was problematic or not, it was who Kirishima was. And Bakugou wouldn't have it any other way. If the idiot continued to prioritize others' needs above himself, then the hothead would take it upon himself to oversee Kirishima's well being.

At the very least, the sturdy hero was better than him. _When I was being tortured, he didn't waste any time trying to come rescue me. And how did I repay him? I was sitting idly at my desk while he fought for his life somewhere deep underground. _

It didn't matter that there was a gag order placed on Kirishima, Bakugou had known something was off in the days prior to the brat's rescue. Something deep in his gut warned him that something terrible was stalking ever closer. Around that time, Bakugou's developing hero sense was highly attuned to Shitty-hair, Deku, Roundface, and the FrogGirl's movements.

Agitated, Bakugou had confronted Kirishima about his change in behavior multiple times, only to have him run away from him every single time. This was his first clue that something was detrimentally wrong, but he had regretfully ignored it. By the time the day of the heist had arrived, Bakugou had been reduced to a fidgety mess. His fingers tapped irritably on the desk while his leg bounced uncontrollably as he pretended to pay attention to Present Mic's lesson. His mind was painfully aware that not only were Kirishima and the other sidekicks suddenly absent from class, but so was EraserHead.

The explosive hero's dread only increased as the day progressed. Eventually, he had to discreetly excuse himself from the class before he puked from the dangerous levels of adrenaline coursing through his body. After somewhat calming himself with a long cold shower, he decided to retire to his room to sleep off the rest of his nerves. That was until news of his classmates' mission flashed across the common room t.v. Bakugou stopped dead in his tracks as he watched the unfocused footage of defeated villains, wounded heroes, pools of blood, and spiky red hair being loaded into an ambulance. The superimposing headline, _Daring Rescue Ends With Large Group Of Heroes Seriously Injured And One Left In Critical Condition, _stretched across the display about made his knees buckle.

The class held a somber vigil in the common room that night as they awaited any news of their classmates and for once Bakugou joined without complaint. His mind fearing the absolute worst as he sat nestled in between a sparkling Kaminari and a sniffling Mina. Never had he felt so useless as he did sitting on that couch. There he was in top fighting shape, but with no target to swing at as he waited for his phone to light up with a simple, _I'm fine, _text message from his best friend. As the rest of his squad cuddled against him for comfort, Bakugou had silently sworn to any deity willing to listen to him, that he would do anything for them if it meant Kirishima would return back to them, safe and sound.

At half-past Midnight, they finally got a group video chat from Roundface who had borrowed the frog girl's phone. When she finally put Kirishima on, Bakugou's heart stopped. He was covered head to toe in bandages, some parts even soiled with fresh blood. Both arms were secured across his chest in full casts, and whatever skin poked through his bandages was heavily bruised. He looked absolutely horrible, but regardless of this, he sported the same shark-toothed grin he always had, which tugged at what little heart Bakugou had. The Ball-of-Sunshine all the while reassured everyone that he was just fine. That his injuries looked way worse than they actually were.

Despite his reassuring words, Bakugou couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty that he hadn't done anything to prevent him from getting injured in the first place. If only Bakugou hadn't failed so miserably in the provincial licensing exam. Then he would have been eligible to do the internships as well. Had he passed, Bakugou would have insisted that they interned somewhere together, which meant he would have been right there beside him. There wasn't a better duo in the entire fucking school. Together they would have blown that fucker away no problem. In Bakugou's mind, Kirishima almost died because of his inadequacy. Because he wasn't good enough. Just like everything else in his fucking miserable life. He never told Kirishima, but it was because of this mentality that made his nightmares come back full force. Not because the redhead had started having nightmares of his own.

Bakugou sighed. Kirishima had done so much for Bakugou in the past few months. Shitty-hair had rescued him, offered endless support and friendship, kept his secret, helped alleviate his nightmares for a time, and now set up this therapy session for him. Worse, Bakugou didn't realize how badly the change in plans had hurt Kirishima. He had his suspicions, of course, but instead of pursuing that instinct, Bakugou had simply overlooked it out of sheer laziness. He didn't deserve Kirishima. Not as a friend or whatever it was that they were to each other at the moment.

_Fuck! Enough with this fucking pity party already! _his inner voice snarled at him. Crimson eyes instantly hardened with a burning resolve. Bakugou didn't have time for this shit. The explosive hero wouldn't stoop down to that damn nerd's level and wallow about the crappy hand fate had dealt him.

_I'm Katsuki Fucking Bakugou for All Might's sake! _The ash-blonde declared to himself.

Instead of regressing into a little bitch, Bakugou would shove those worthless feelings down where they belonged. Somewhere so deep and dark within himself, they would never again see the light of day. The tenacious hero would actually do something productive with his problems. Thanks to Midnight, Bakugou now possessed some tools to tackle his measly little nightmare problem. This weekend was dedicated to digging up more info about the otherworldly travelers masquerading as their new classmates.

Bakugou was telling the truth when he said he didn't mistrust the shinobi's intentions. But that didn't dismiss the possibility of them being a passive threat to them. Bakugou wasn't going to let his guard down fully until he uncovered every secret they harbored from him. That only left one last task that still needed to be addressed.

"Hey, Kiri," Bakugou started as they made it into the dorm stairwell. Kirishima turned toward him but remained silent. Knowing if his friend made an effort to initiate the conversation, he didn't need to be coaxed into continuing.

"Thanks for setting this setting up and being there for me these past couple months," the ash-blonde muttered a little awkwardly. His usual irritation still echoed through his words, but they both understood that was just his default cadence. "I know you're upset that I canceled our plans and that I should have talked it over with you first. But I really need to work things out with Kyo before it drives me crazy. I won't be able to do it here on campus without the teachers getting in our way."

"Is this like that time with Midoriya?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah, something like that," Bakugou confessed, scowling at the nerd's name out of reflex.

_Shitty-hair's more perceptive than he looks._

Even though Bakugou never explained why he challenged Deku to a fight that night, the redhead seemed to understand that there was a secret meaning behind it. Kirishima would shoot him a look whenever Bakugou engaged in hushed small talk with the nerd or if he passed up an opportunity to yell at him for one reason or another. It was obvious that Kirishima wanted to ask about it but respectfully held his tongue on the matter. Which was much appreciated, because Bakugou wouldn't have been able to answer even if he wanted to. No way was Bakugou about to curse Kirishima with that knowledge in the same manner as Deku had done to him.

"It's complicated, but I promise I'll tell you what I can when I get this resolved, alright?"

There was a solemn nod at that. The redhead reached for the handle of his dorm room, which they had just arrived at, but a hand on his shoulder pulled him back from it. Confused, Kirishima looked back at his friend.

"And I also promise to make this up to you, Kiri," Bakugou smirked, his shoulder leaning confidently against the wall. "When I get back Sunday, I'll kick that Copycat out of the room so we can finally have some alone time."

Before Kirishima could even respond, the ash-blonde grabbed hold of his tie and pulled him in for a kiss. The shark-toothed teen's cheeks turned as red as his hair with the realization that this was the first kiss they shared on campus outside their respected rooms. Unfortunately, Bakugou had to break it off sooner than he would have liked to avoid anyone catching them. But one look at Kiri's flustered face made it worth it.

"We'll pick this up when I get back," Bakugou promised smugly before disappearing to his own dorm room to pack. The redhead still grinned like a moron as he stared at his door.

_Idiot._

**_Tsubasa P. O. V. _**

Still shaken up from his dream the previous night, Tsubasa sought out his brother after class. Hoping to have a word with him while he was separated from Bakugou and Kirishima. Luckily they were preoccupied with some sort of meeting with Midnight. The winged shinobi had heard from Midoriya earlier that day, that Kyo intended to go home with the other explosive teen for the weekend. This, of course, was news to him.

_What's my brother up to now?_

It wasn't challenging to find Kyo. One might assume that his bright orange hair would make him easy to spot in a crowd. While that was usually the case, this world had no shortage of interesting people within its population. It was actually the company his brother had chosen to spend most of his time with, that gave away his position. Even from 20 feet away, Tsubasa could hear the infectious laughter of Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido as they walked back to the dorms with the brunette's two teammates trailing behind them hand in hand. All of them sported giant grins as if they had not a care in the world. It almost felt cruel to put a damper on their fun.

"Hello everyone, what are you all up to?" Tsubasa greeted them when they came into earshot. Giving them all the friendliest smile he could conjure up.

"We're on our way back to set up for Game Night," Sero explained, holding up a box in his arms.

"Yeah, Momo finally lifted the ban on us, so we're finally allowed to pick a game again!" Giggled the pinkette after taking a sip of her bottle of vanilla coke.

"Any games in mind?"

The three future heroes smirked at that. "Truth or dare, of course!" Kaminari laughed. Immediately turning to high-five Ashido. "You've played it, right?"

Tsubasa shook his head. "Sorry, it's not something Binoshi encouraged," he apologized guiltily. Despite what Kyo thought, he didn't enjoy lying to everyone, but telling the truth about their origins was out of the question. "But I look forward to learning how to play with you tonight." This response got a cheer from the group. The class really seemed to enjoy teaching sheltered kids about the joys of social interaction.

"Did you need something from us, Tsubasa?~" Tohru asked sweetly, sensing his underlying urgency.

"Yes, I was actually hoping I could borrow my brother for a minute?" the shinobi asked as politely as he could. Kyo, who had been doing his best to ignore his brother's presence during this exchange, looked like he wanted to refuse Tsubasa's request.

However, before he got the chance, Ashido pushed the copper-haired teen roughly in his twin's direction. "You heard him salmon breath. Get outta here!"

"What the fuck, Pink! Let me go!" Kyo growled, trying to dig his heels into the dirt. "Why the fuck are you trying to get rid of me?"

"To steal Tohru away, duh," Ashido giggled evilly. Giving him one final shove that almost knocked him over. "Take all the time you need!" she called over her shoulder. Dragging a flustered Tohru behind her.

The twins watched them retreat in awkward silence.

"What the hell do you want?" Kyo growled dangerously. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his baggy pants. His narrowed crimson eyes glowed dimly in an attempt to intimidate him, but Tsubasa held his ground.

"Take a walk with me?" the brunette proposed calmly, pointing over his shoulder. Without waiting for his brother's response, the dream walker turned on his heel and started walking away. Heading for an alley a little ways from them. An agitated hiss sounded behind him, followed by the copper-haired teen's soft footsteps as he begrudgingly followed after him. Only when Tsubasa was sure they had traveled a safe distance away from any curious eyes and ears did he finally turn to face the other shinobi.

"So, what's this about?" Kyo snapped impatiently. Pretending to lean casually against the wall, while his sharp eyes and ears scanned their surroundings for any threats out of habit. Even in such a relaxed environment, the explosive shinobi didn't allow himself to drop his guard.

"I had another dream," Tsubasa announced sullenly. He then quickly summarized the last prophetic dreams he had. The ones that depicted their failure to save the class from the villains. Deciding to keep his nightmares about Tohru to himself.

_No reason to upset him about nothing important._

The winged shinobi explained how their growing familiarity with their classmates was becoming a problem. That it will end up exposing their secrets, which would cause friction and mistrust between the two groups. Eventually sealing their fate as they are all annihilated by the villains and a horde of grotesque monsters.

"Something must have changed. We're getting too invested with this class," Tsubasa whispered too quietly for anyone else but Kyo to hear. "We should back off and tread carefully from now on. We can't risk anyone else learning about where we come from or our mission until the danger has passed."

The brunette expected his brother to be angry, but he actually looked a little sheepish as he spoke. "Yeah, about that," Kyo began with his head turned away from him. His cheeks colored pink with embarrassment. "Last night, Bakuogu might have accidentally discovered that we're not native to Japan...or this world."

Tsubasa was speechless for a few moments. "H-He what?" The brunette finally stammered.

Kyo crossed his arms. His cheeks reddening even more. "He knows we can travel between worlds," he repeated reluctantly.

Tsubasa covered his eyes with his hands. Willing this to be nothing more than another bad dream. "How did this happen?" he sighed in utter defeat.

"Hey, this isn't my fault!" hissed his brother angrily.

Kyo then explained how Bakugou had stumbled upon their mother's headband and not only knew what it meant but also knew a fair amount of their homeworld. Apparently, some kind of comic book depicted historical events as it followed the lives of numerous characters as if the reader were witnessing events first hand. Kyo explained that after Bakugou already uncovered their origins, Kyo decided to trade him more information about their lives to learn more about the books. After listening to what Kyo had to say, Bakugou had agreed to keep their origin's a secret from everyone else. The future hero even revealed that the author had also written multiple branch-off series, which could possibly portray information about their mother or even future events for them as well. Which was why Kyo was leaving campus with him that weekend.

"I don't like this, but I guess it can't be helped," Tsubasa acknowledged when his brother was done with his explanation.

"Is that everything then? I should really get back so I can finish packing for this weekend," Kyo muttered, already making his way back the way they had come. Even shouldering Tsubasa rudely on his way by.

"Kyo," the brunette called after him when he made it a few paces away. His brother halted but made no move to face him. "Can you guarantee that Bakugou and the others won't discover our true mission here?"

The copper-haired teen looked over his shoulder. "You want me to pinky promise?" Kyo smirked, jokingly holding up his pinky for him.

"I'm serious," Tsubasa warned, allowing the smallest traces of irritation to echo in his voice. "Weren't you listening to my warning earlier? You're becoming too attached to this class. You need to keep your distance."

The temperature around them immediately spiked. Kyo's crimson eyes blazing brightly with anger. A sign that he was losing control of his emotions and, as a result, his powers as well.

"You got some nerve saying that," Kyo snarled, which made his sharp canines more pronounced. His fiery gaze glared back at Tsubasa. Willing his twin to back down, but he held firm. Realizing that his younger brother wasn't going to submit, he carried on, "These aren't just our classmates or our employers anymore. They're our friends! You can feel that, right? Why can't we tell them what's at stake?"

_So that's what this is about, _the winged teen frowned to himself. _He's always like this._

Tsubasa's eyes flashed an icy blue in contrast to his brother. His massive wings fluttered around him in a warning. The movement expelling a strong gust of frigid wind all around them. Scattering debris and flowing through their hair violently. Yet neither of the twins took any notice of it.

"You know_ why,_" Tsubasa warned coldly. Dropping his usual polite and friendly way of speaking. It wasn't a tone he enjoyed using, but it was sometimes necessary in times like this.

"The more people who know about us, about our real mission here, the more it can change the future. With a class this close, it won't be long before the whole class knows our secret. If that happens, how could we possibly hope to protect them all when there are 20 plus people constantly second-guessing everything and changing their choices? This will end up creating infinite new possible futures. Each one, worse than the last."

"We don't know that for sure," Kyo proposed hastily. Clearly grasping at straws to support his argument. "This class is different. Unlike in the past, these kids are trained to deal with disaster scenarios."

"Do you really want to risk their lives on that? It's bad enough that Aizawa and Shinso know everything they do."

"Fine, have it your way," Kyo yielded in a gruff tone.

"It's the right thing to do," the dream walker sighed in relief. His eyes flickering back to amber while his wings relaxed against his back. "This isn't easy for me either. I've grown attached to our classmates as well. But if you truly care for them, you have to keep your distance and tell them nothing."

His brother remained silent. Refusing to meet his eyes.

His older brother's behavior was disconcerting. "So you promise not to tell any of them our true mission?" he urged in a concerned tone.

Kyo rolled his eyes. "Cross my heart and hope to die," the copper-haired shinobi muttered sarcastically. Mimicking a crossing gesture over his heart. Smirking at the face, Tsubasa made as a result of his underhanded jab.

_Very mature, _the brunette muttered to himself.

Tsubasa should have known Kyo wouldn't take any advice he said seriously. Not when he was still incredibly angry with him. This would end up being like his fake promise he had made with Aizawa about not bringing weapons to class. Kyo was acting like a brat, and this angered Tsubasa. He was used to his older brother being impulsive, selfish, and causing trouble wherever they went. After spending years apologizing and making amends for the hothead's explosive temper and destructive nature. Tsubasa had made peace with his role as his brother's keeper. However, his attitude now was more than his usual brashness. Kyo was taking their stupid fight to dangerous levels. One that could have detrimental ramifications.

Now, the explosive shinobi wasn't petty enough to spill their secret just to retaliate against the brunette. Kyo cared too much about the class's wellbeing to do something that stupid. No, the stubborn shinobi would share their secret out of mutual respect for his new friends. Believing they would be strong enough to wield that information wisely. It also didn't help that Kyo had been emotionally unstable the past few months. Tsubasa wouldn't put it past him to reveal the truth by accident.

_Fine, if that's how he's going to be. I'll have to take drastic measures._

_" _If that's how you feel, then you wouldn't mind making a Blood Pact with me then?" Tsubasa suggested.

Crimson orbs snapped back to him. Unmeasurable fury burning in their depths**. **"You're not serious?" he challenged through grit teeth.

"As a heart attack," Tsubasa quipped, mirroring his brother's dark humor from before. His eyes glowing an intimidating icy blue once more, prompting an intense glaring contest between brothers. Each one willing the other to submit to their will.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kyo finally averted his gaze in defeat. "Fine, whatever," he muttered under his breath. Without another word, the copper-haired shinobi then brought his hand to his mouth. Biting down on his thumb until he drew blood. He uses more force than necessary, and in no time, a trail of blood trickled freely from the wound. His eyes never wavered as he glared kunai at his baby brother.

Following his lead, Tsubasa did the same. His nose scrunching up slightly with the unpleasant coppery flavor. "Kyo, do you promise not to reveal our true mission to anyone in the class?"

"Yes."

"Then, I accept your pact brother," Tsubasa announced, pushing his wounded thumb into Kyo's. Once touching, the wounds on their thumbs immediately throbbed as warmth centered around the injury. Time seemed to slow down, and after a few seconds, the blood flowing from their cuts started to travel backward. Defying gravity as it flowed back toward the opening of their wounds until suddenly vanishing completely. The only trace of its existence were the faint matching scars adorning their respective thumbs. A permanent reminder of their shared pact.

Kyo regarded the newly healed scar thoughtfully for a second. "Are we done here?" he asked in a somber tone. He was no longer angry, just hurt, and it made Tsubasa's heartache that he had to force him into this.

The winged teen could only nod. Stepping out of his brother's path as he stomped his way back to the dorms. It was almost time for him to meet up with Bakugou. As the dreamwalker watched him walk further away, he had to remind himself that he had done the right thing. Tsubasa couldn't risk his brother revealing their mission to train the class for an upcoming villain attack. That they were trying to stop a prophecy of the whole class dying. He knew Kyo meant well, but he had a crippling habit of trusting people who didn't deserve it. It was a trait that had already killed him once.

Tsubasa released the sigh he hadn't realized he had been holding. It wasn't his intention to upset him further. He had approached Kyo intending to get past the awkwardness that had developed between him since his accident. If only that incident of Bakugou stumbling on their world-traveling secret hadn't occurred. Maybe then Tsubasa could have proceeded without forcing him into a blood pact. It was Tsubasa's responsibility to make sure nothing else threatened the future they wished to achieve. There simply wasn't any other course of action to take. It looked like he would be in the doghouse for a while longer.

That left only one matter to attend to.

_Should I inform Aizawa that Bakugou knows where we come? _He pondered to himself. After deliberating on it for a few seconds, he ultimately decided against it.

_No, not yet. We can handle him for the time being._

And with that, the dreamwalker spread his wings and took to the skies. Thinking a long flying session would help clear his mind.

* * *

**Hesci Everyone! I'm back! Sorry for the extremely long wait. My life was extremely busy over the holidays, which gave me terrible writers block. But after watching Heroes Rising, Incredible movie btw, I was inspired to finish this up.**  
**I would like to thank those who have given me feedback already. Your reviews made me feel so amazing and fulfilled that I busted out half the chapter in one sitting. Then I got a puppy and couldn't stop playing with him. For that, I am truly sorry.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you continue to keep reading. If you would be so kind as to give me kudos, likes or leave a review or comments on the story so far would be absolutely amazing. Not only does it help validate the work I've put into this story, but it also motivates me to update faster, knowing people are actually reading and enjoying it. You don't have to sing it praises either. Let me know if the chapters are too long, if I'm moving the plot to slow or if I need to add or cut out fight scenes or personal interactions. If you have a ship or friendship that you love, I can try to work that in.**


	10. Being A Hero Is A Thankless Job

**In honor of the twin's birthday (It's canon that Tsubasa's is today while Kyo's was never officially announced), April 1st I've decided to rush editing this chapter so everyone can enjoy it during these trying times. Hope you enjoy!**

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**_Tohru P. O. V._**

The Class-A common room bustled with activity as students enjoyed the start of their weekend. Exhausted after a grueling week of exams, most students opted to blow off steam surrounded by their friends on campus instead of going to the effort of going home for the weekend. This was further confirmed by the imposing pile of blankets and sleeping bags stacked high in a jumbled mess in one of the corners, while many of the dorm's dining room tables were covered in games, movies, and an impressive assortment of snacks. A chorus of rambunctious shouting filled the space as Kaminari, Sero, Tokoyami, and Shoji competed in a cut-throat race in Mario Kart to determine who got to pick the first movie of the night.

The kunoichi couldn't help but giggle at their enthusiasm from where she sat at one of the remaining tables. She was currently seated with Mina, Uraraka, Midoriya, and Todoroki as they taught her and the dual quirk user how to play UNO. It was slow going at first. Neither Tohru nor her indifferent classmate could fathom the necessity of all the different colors and numbers. The two of them occasionally shifted awkwardly in their seats when arguments regarding rules of some of the specialty cards broke out between the game veterans.

"Um, would anyone like a refill of their tea?~" The kunoichi offered awkwardly. Hoping to excuse herself from where she sat trapped between Mina and Midorya's hushed bickering about whether or not jump in was an acceptable rule for beginners. That and she felt incredibly guilty for not doing anything more productive with her time when her teammates were always working so hard for their mission. "I could fix a quick snack as well~," she added, putting her cards face down on the table.

"Please stay, Tohru!" Uraraka pleaded in a sweet tone. Her hand gently grasped Tohru's to keep her from leaving. A comforting warmth emitting from her palms, which soaked into Tohru in a lovely manner. The zero gravity quirk user shot her a bubbly smile. "You promised to take it easy this weekend. You've been taking care of everyone for weeks now, so let everyone spoil you for a change."

Uraraka's words managed to break through her friend's arguing, both of which immediately ceased their quarrel to nod in agreement. "Uraraka's right," the green-haired boy agreed quietly. "All of you have been such a great help both in and out of the classroom. The class wanted to show our thanks by throwing this gathering for you."

"Yeah, Momo even convinced Lush Rush to cater dinner tonight so you wouldn't have to trouble yourself," Mina chimed in.

"We wouldn't have had to go to all that trouble if Bakugou wasn't so hard to trick into cooking for everyone every once in a while," Kaminari muttered loudly as he dodged a virtual shell in his game.

"It couldn't be helped," Sero pointed out beside him. Leaning forward in his seat to better concentrate on the task at hand. "Even if we figured out a way to coerce him to, it wouldn't have mattered since Bakugou was already planning to go home this weekend."

"It's for the best. Blasty would have prevented us from staying up late, and I'm planning to stay up all night long!" Mina cheered as her mischievous grin, peeked out behind her raised cards. "Doesn't that sound amazing Tohru? Just let Auntie Mina take care of you this weekend."

Tohru's own smile tugged at her lips. "Well, how can I say no to that," she mused aloud. Settling back into her chair with renewed vigor. This was proving to be the start of an exciting break. Her sapphire eyes studied her cards intently. Determined to learn this game in time for the night festivities. The brunette was just starting to understand the rules when the central doors crashed open with a devastating **_BOOM!_**

The suddenness and the violent nature in which they were almost blown off their hinges sent the class in a panic as they were forced into fight or flight modes. Poor Midoriya had even dived under the table from years of classic Bakugou anger conditioning. However, a collective sigh released from the class when the smoke dissipated to reveal an irritated Kyo in its wake. His hands buried deep in the pockets of his loose-fitting school uniform, as he relaxed out of his kicking stance.

"Welcome Back, Kyo!~" Tohru greeted him with a wave. Disturbingly unphased by this type of violent behavior. "You want to join us for a quick game of UNO?"

With an ambiguous grunt, the explosive shinobi stomped over to them. Pulling an extra chair on his way, which screeched sharply across the ground like nails on a chalkboard. Paying no mind to the dirty looks, the pinkette shot him as he forced himself in between her and Tohru. Kyo then slid down the back of the chair with his arms crossed tightly around him. The biggest, most adorable pout graced his features as he sulked in his seat without a word.

Uraraka was the first to recover. "Wow, that was a spot on Bakugou impression," the bubbly girl praised with another one of her glowing smiles. She turned to her green-haired friend, who was just now peeking out of his awkward hiding place. "Wasn't it Deku?"

"Y-yeah i-it was-s," the freckled boy stuttered, settling back into his chair. It must have been rough for the boy to be exposed to another person with a volatile disposition. "Everything okay, Kyo?"

"It's none of your damn business Deku!" Kyo hissed harshly, causing the shy boy to flinch violently. Effectively forcing Midoriya back into hiding as the shinobi towered above him in a threatening manner. Vibrant orange cat ears immediately erupted on top of his head, while his eyes flickered an intense shade of red for a split second as misplaced malice rolled off his person.

Crimson cat eyes blinked in confusion a couple of times, before looking up to study the new addition to his head. The copper-haired teen then looks back to Tohru, who shrugged in a perplexed manner.

"Sorry, accident~" she apologized with a blush.

Kyo willed himself to take a deep breath. "No, it was my fault," he confessed in a restrained tone. They both knew she had nothing to do with his transformation, but played it off as they have been taught to do since their childhood. It was safer this way. Besides, Tohru would do anything to keep the twins secret from curious eyes.

With a reluctant flick of his new tail, he turned his attention back to Midoriya and added, "Sorry. My brother was pissing me off. I shouldn't have taken it out on you," the shinobi apologized without making direct eye contact. Allowing himself to appear submissive to the other.

Pride warmed the brunette's chest as she witnessed her boyfriend's character growth. It wasn't all that long ago that he would have stormed off somewhere instead of admitting he was the one at fault. If only he could put these new found skills into practice to re-establish his relationship with his brother.

_Oh well._

Despite Midoriya's intense reaction, he didn't seem phased by Kyo's behavior. "It's okay. I'm kinda used to it," the freckled boy admitted with a sheepish grin. Awkward laughter spread across the room with that statement. Granting everyone the opportunity to settle back into their previous activities.

"Still, it's ironic that Bakugou is off behaving responsibly in therapy while Kyo makes a scene like that!" Kaminari laughed from his seat on the couch. Leaning into the tape user in a cheap attempt to steer him off the rainbow road.

"Dude, shut up! You want Bakugou to kill you?" the small purple-haired kid warned through chattering teeth. His head looked around frantically for any trace of the angry mess of ash-blonde hair. "I don't want to get caught in the crossfire when he goes on a warpath!" The other students in the dorm, however, ignored his fears to focus on their own pursuits better.

As time progressed, several curious students tried to ask how the kind, soft-spoken Tsubasa managed to piss Kyo off to this degree. But he refused to disclose that information. Eventually, a furious hiss from the explosive shinobi proved to be enough to convince everyone to leave him alone on the matter. Everyone collectively deciding it was in their best interest not to meet his sharp gaze for the foreseeable future. Tohru had a sinking suspicion that his foul mood had something to do with their mission, but she couldn't very well ask him right then and there.

The group continued with their game of UNO while Kyo watched lazily from the sidelines. His fluffy tail leisurely swung back and forth behind him as he sat crisscrossed on the chair. Every now and then, his ears and tail would twitch in particular ways. It was incredibly subtle, but together they conveyed underlying messages for anyone well versed in their meanings. A simple way of communication that their squad had come up with when they were in their animal physiques. Almost like an animal form of sign language. They couldn't speak anything too complicated, but it wasn't hard to get basic ideas across. Especially with how close they all were.

The brunette continued to watch his movements in her peripheral. His message; **_Thank you. I love you. I'll fill you in later, _**playing on repeat throughout the card game.

The sentiment brought a smile to her face. She straightened her stack of cards against the table in morse code for,** _Love you too. _**It was difficult to suppress her giggle, knowing he understood her secret message to him.

"Well, as fun as this has been to watch, I better go pack my stuff before Blasty gets back," the copper-haired teen politely excused himself after watching Mina win for the third consecutive round. His hands pushed off the table to ease himself to his feet.

"I'll come with you!~" Tohru offered in her usual sing-song voice. Already rising to her feet to faithfully follow after him. To her new friends, she added, "I'll be back in a little bit~."

"Hurry back!" the two girls called back in unison.

From the couches, another set of voices called out. "Have a great time at Bakugou's!" Sero yelled as he pushed a cheating blonde out of his way. "And good luck!"

"Yeah, you're gonna need it," Kaminari snickered, only to be silenced by a pillow thrown at the back of his head. After which, a chorus of laughter trickled after them as they exited the room. The sincerity that their new classmates continued to show them never failed to bring a smile to Tohru's face.

_This really was a loveable group of kids._

The couple casually walked up to the fourth-floor, hand in hand. Relishing in each other's company before spending the weekend apart. In all their year's journey together, their little group seldomly separated for extended lengths of time. It was unnerving, yet their professionalism prevented either of them from showing it on their faces. Instead, Kyo whispered a quick summary of what had occurred between him and Tsubasa while they climbed the stairs to their temporary rooms. The shinobi spoke in code to disguise crucial details pertaining to their job in case anyone was eavesdropping.

"Can you believe Bakugou actually invited me to his place?" Kyo laughed in a carefree fashion. A glittering fang poking out of his usual smirk. "It's like he discovered I was an alien or something," he continued in a joking manner. Subtly conveying to her that Bakugou had somehow discovered he had come from another world. And as a result, the rest of them as well.

Tohru laughed nervously. "Oh, come now. Why would he think something like that?~" she questioned with a teasing inflection. Her free hand made a dismissive wave in front of her face to hide her unease.

He shrugged in an overly exaggerated manner. The tip of his cat tail flicked twice before subtly brushing against the small of his back, where he usually kept his mother's kunai strapped to his person. With a click of his tongue, he continued, "Beats me, but Tsubasa busted my case about riling Bakugou up more than usual. It's like he doesn't trust me not to wipe-out the whole school or somethin'," he muttered slightly bitter.

Without him saying the words out right, Tohru understood the true meaning behind his words as if he spoke them directly to her. **_Tsubasa confronted me about Bakugou and was furious when he found out Bakugou knew the truth. He doesn't trust my judgment. He thinks I'm going to get everyone killed, myself included._**

Tohru frowned at this. Her heart ached, knowing the twins were no closer to resolving their issues. "He's just worried,~" she found herself defending Tsubasa for reasons she couldn't voice. The pain in her heart intensified when she noticed Kyo's eyes narrowing dangerously at her words. He clearly didn't want to hear that, but just as quickly, his expression softened at her as he pushed his frustrations aside.

"Yeah, well, he made me promise to back off before I embarrassed him or whatever," he growled softly. His thumb firmly rubbed against the back of Tohru's hand, while his tail refrained from lashing furiously behind him. The mischievousness that commonly reflected in his crimson eyes completely absent. Leaving only cold anger in their wake.

"H-he did?~" Tohru stuttered, unable to hide the surprise in her voice.

She felt the foreign sensation, the slight protrusion of the freshly healed skin on his newly scarred thumb as it rubbed against her. Sapphire eyes widened in understanding when she realized what could have caused such a mark. Tohru found it challenging to hold back the tears that threatened to fall from them.

_How long do you two keep planning on hurting one another?_

The kunoichi understood how serious someone discovering the truth about them was for their mission. If the wrong people found out, it could put their job and even everyone's lives at risk. But, even still, Tohru still couldn't fathom how their calm collected teammate could resort to such a reckless method like a blood pact to keep that from happening. While such an arrangement was highly effective in forcing multiple parties to adhere to the spoken agreement, it was irreversible and possibly deadly if anyone tried to back out of it. Even if it was done to keep his brother from further incriminating their mission, Tsubasa had many other options available to him. To reduce to something so foolhardy was highly irresponsible on his part. A decision that would have lasting ramifications on their bond as brothers.

_No wonder Kyo was so resentful. Not that his actions lately had been any better. _

A curt nod was the explosive shinobi's only response. However, upon noticing her troubled expression, Kyo gently knocked on her head with their intertwined hands in his trademarked gesture of love and comfort.

"Don't worry about it, Tohru. This is between us, so you shouldn't have to worry yourself over it," he reassured in a pleasant tone as they arrived at Bakugou's dorm room.

Before disappearing inside, the copper-haired teen planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna miss you this weekend. Don't have too much fun with everyone while I'm gone," he replied with a mischievous grin.

It was a lovely sentiment, but Tohru could hardly enjoy it fully. For her mind was preoccupied with the silent warning, Kyo had quickly tapped onto her hand as he spoke.

**_He dreamed of trouble swiftly approaching. Keep your guard up._**

Tohru bit her bottom lip gently. Unwilling to let this warning of approaching danger to bring down her mood for even a second. She knew that her squad would prevail against this threat, just like they have done countless times before. This mission wouldn't be any different.

"I'm going to miss you too, Kyo~" she assured him with determined sapphire eyes. With that, the kunoichi turned on her heel. Preparing to return to where the rest of their friends were waiting for her downstairs.

"And you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine with everyone here~" Tohru called over her shoulder before disappearing from view.

**_Bakugou P. O. V._**

The explosive hero felt the excited energy in the air as he made his way to rejoin his fellow heroes downstairs. Unbridled laughter, slightly off-key singing, and outdated music blared from the communal karaoke machine. Reverberating off the walls so much that the ash-blonde heard the racket, his classmates were making well before the doors to the elevator opened on the ground floor. The explosive hero silently thanked his lucky stars that he was being spared this disaster waiting to happen.

"Couldn't you fuckers keep it down until after I left?!" Bakugou boomed as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. His yell and sparkling palms intense enough to silence almost everyone in attendance. Everyone except for Horns, Pikachu, and the quirk Copycat, which continued to rock out to some virtual band simulator in the corner, completely unphased. Seemed, the group of idiots had finally discovered a videogame the world traveler didn't completely suck at.

"Not now, we're in the middle of our set," the copper-haired teen complained childishly. Focusing intently on keeping rhythm to the color-coded designs on-screen with his imitation drum set. Kyo's advanced physical prowess greatly contributed to his success despite his lack of technical know-how.

Bakugou, however, wasn't impressed.

With a roll of his eyes, the ash-blonde sauntered over with the classic scowl plastered on his face. "Do I look like I give a fuck?" Bakugou retorted. His arms crossed in one fluid movement. Bringing attention to how well his casual clothes fitted his toned torso. The dark red v-neck hugged his form nicely under his favorite leather jacket with subtle bright orange accents that correlated with his hero costume. These were further complemented by the black jeans and matching red bet he wore with it. A rectangular silver pendant hung loosely from his neck, rounding out his outfit.

"I swear by whatever deity you believe in, I will not hesitate to kill you if you make us miss our train," Bakugou growled in warning. His shoulder rolled slightly to adjust the bothersome strap of his weekend bag. "Now hurry the hell up."

The shinobi cursed under his breath but obediently dropped the fake drumsticks on the stand. Pausing briefly to lean over his seat to grab the satchel carefully tucked away by his feet. A fanged yawn escaped his mouth as he stretched his arms above his head with exaggerated movements. Allowing Bakugou to get a better look at him for the first time since he saw him last in class. Instantly annoyed that their clothing choices were as similar as everything else about them.

Kyo was wearing a baggy asymmetrical dark red and black sweater. The right sleeve and shoulder were made from a soft muted red wool, while the rest of his shirt was made from black mesh material with the left sleeve rolled up to his elbow. Under the see-through material, Bakugou could see glimpses of the tight black tank-top he wore underneath, as well as the occasional flashes of tanned skin. Something that seemed to excite the girls considering most of them watched Kyo's movements closely when they thought no one was watching. Unlike Bakugou's loose-fitting jeans, the copper-haired teen wore jet black skinny jeans, with some holes skillfully slashed in strategic places. One of which left a generous portion of his right thigh exposed.

In contrast to the explosive hero, a silver chain dangled from Kyo's belt to the back of his left pocket. Adorning it were multiple small charms and what appeared to be one of his twin brother's bright orange feathers. A surprising accessory considering they weren't very close, though it did match the shinobi's own copper hair perfectly.

The explosive hero's eye twitched in subdued agitation. Never had Bakugou wanted to change as badly as he did right then. They couldn't go out in public like this! Not when they looked like some gimmicky couple. Bakugou had half a mind to stomp back upstairs and change, but there simply wasn't time. They were late enough as it was. It was already looking like they would have to sprint most of the way to the station if they wanted to catch their train.

"Get a move on, we're going to be late," the ash-blonde ordered with a reluctant hiss. Turning on his heel without bothering to confirm if his classmate was following after him or not. He nodded his head subtly to Kirishima when he caught a glimpse of him across the room. They had already said their farewells before he had arrived downstairs. A mixture of pleasant wishes and harmless teasing from the rest of the dorm trailed after them, which Bakugou ignored to the best of his ability.

Instead, Bakugou focused intently on the nearly silent footsteps following a few paces behind him. Announcing the presence of his otherworldly shadow for the next 48 hours or so. One of questionable alliances. A smirk pulled at his lips as the familiar sensation of adrenaline coursed through his body.

_This is going to be a blast, _he reflected with a twinge of anxious excitement as he led the shinobi further into his home town. By the time Bakugou returned back to UA, he would hopefully have all the answers he had craved.

_Time to go Plus Ultra!_

The trip into the city was quiet. Now that they were away from prying eyes, the copper-haired teen had dropped his outgoing persona. Instead, he allowed a manageable stillness to settle between them. It was too soon to tell if it was all an act Kyo had adopted to infiltrate the class, or if he was just as uneasy about someone learning the truth about him as Bakugou was about discovering yet another deadly secret.

Regardless, the explosive hero appreciated the silence. The only topics he wished to discuss were too dangerous to speak aloud in public. And he absolutely loathed meaningless small talk with anyone besides Kiri, so it was better to hold off on conversations entirely until they were safely hidden away in his room.

After jogging part of the way, they made it to their terminal just in time. Not wanting to risk Kyo accidentally detonating the machine out of frustration. Bakugou swiftly scanned both of their transit cards in the reader with expert precision. Allowing them to quickly board the crowded subway car mere seconds before the doors closed behind them.

Blinking the blinding light of the setting sun from his eyes, the ash-blonde led the two of them through the railcar. Weaving through the claustrophobic mass until they found a less crowded area. Forcing himself to take deep breaths through his nose as he went. Continually reminding himself that the crowd of people was harmless and not the suffocating mass of turquoise he had been trapped in during his kidnapping. As one would expect, every seat was already spoken for, but at least they had managed to settle somewhere they could hold onto the rails without being crushed by other patrons. Bakugou repressed the urge to groan. He really hated taking the subway and went to great lengths to avoid it whenever he could.

_If only the old man wasn't out of town for work. I could have gotten that push-over to give us a ride, no problem._

"Is that him?" Bakugou's fickle ears heard someone whisper somewhere to his left.

"Yeah, that's him alright," another voice confirmed in a hushed tone. "The guy from the sports festival."

Suspicious, the explosive hero discreetly repositioned himself so that he could see their reflection from the subway cars' rarely used convex mirror. Ignoring the sideways glance, Kyo shot him as the movement extended the gap between them. Upon doing so, he saw a girl with bright blue eyes and matching hair that shimmered and waved like an ever-flowing waterfall glowering in his direction. A physical trait that screamed she had some kind of water quirk. Standing beside her was a mostly average looking guy with dark brown hair, slightly pointed ears, and disconcerting turquoise eyes. Both of which wore the uniforms to a nearby university, making them his senior by a couple years.

"He ended up being the first year winner, right?" the guy asked, moving closer to his friend. Trying to drape an arm around her which she shrugged off to avoid him from messing up her glitzy locks.

"You mean you don't remember him being chained to the podium like a wild animal?" the girl snickered a little too loudly, causing a few heads to turn curiously. Enjoying some of the attention she acquired, the college student flicked her hair in a pretentious manner, which shimmered when it caught the light. She then continued in a low, but indiscreet tone, "I heard from my little sister that he injured a few other students in his frenzy, before they finally managed to muzzle him."

The blatant lie enraged Bakugou. While he could admit that his actions during the award ceremony were in poor taste, the explosive hero didn't harm a single person. Midnight had just gotten a little carried away when the blonde had refused to give up his heated argument with Icyhot.

That was all.

To insinuate that he was a danger to anyone besides the villains he detested was unforgivable to him. It took every ounce of Bakugou's self-control to remain where he was, instead of exploding on them and proving them right about his deplorable character.

"Wow, really? What kind of despicable person harms their own allies?" the brunette mocked, further twisting the knife of their previous jab. He shot a dirty look at the hero's back, with the sort of smug confidence one only exhibited when they believed the person in question would never discover it was them. However, Bakugou was very much aware. His furious crimson eyes glared at the whimp's reflection with such intensity, it was a wonder he didn't burst into flames. "Hero society has really gone downhill, huh? I almost feel sorry for them."

_Fucking coward, you'd probably piss yourself if you ever tried to say that to my face. So take your pity and shove it!_

"For real, it was such a noble profession before," the bitch agreed in feigned disappointment. The ash-blonde already hated her guts at this point. If they weren't surrounded by so many people, Bakugou might've been tempted to blow that smug smirk off her face despite her being a civilian. With a flippant gesture in his direction, she continued, "If you ask me, it seems it's getting more and more corrupt. Just look how low the bar is these days."

_Who asked you, hag?! If that's how you feel, here's hoping there aren't any heroes around to ever save your ungrateful ass!_

"He's got some nerve to call himself a hero," crowed her kiss-up of a friend. Looking absolutely pleased to have something he perceived to be _inferior _to pick apart in what Bakugou could only assume to be a rather dull existence. It was infuriating to be looked down on by someone the hothead could probably knock-out easily with one half-assed finger flick. "If I remember correctly, he's also the brat that got captured by that sludge villain too. It seems like he's more of a burden to his school than he's worth."

Bakugou inwardly winced at that cheap shot.

_Like you could have done any better, you fucking pansy!_

An evil smirk contorted the broad's features then. An expression that reminded Bakugou of that intolerable quirk copying bastard from Class-B. "Honestly, I can't believe they still allow him to go to UA considering what he did to All Might," she stated maliciously. No longer pretending she hadn't noticed nearby patrons were eavesdropping on their conversation.

Bakugou's breath instantly hitched, hearing his darkest guilt-soaked thought vocalized. It felt like he had been hit with all of Kaminari's electricity only for it to suddenly shut off, leaving him feeling unbelievably cold as his body struggled to come back online. A heavy pressure resonated painfully in his chest as his heart constricted with the memory of All Might's broken deflated body facing off against All For One.

_No. _

He refused to have a panic attack here in full view of everyone.

_I will not give this entitled fucking bitch the satisfaction of seeing me fall apart._

However, her words seemed to spark other people to start gossiping amongst themselves. Snippets of conversations centered around topics such as how many people believed Bakugou didn't have what it took to be a hero or those comparing him to the villains he was supposed to protect them against. The worst by far were the ones labeling him as the catalyst for everything wrong with the current state of the world. A truth, Bakugou himself had difficulty denying every time he looked in the mirror. All of these opinions swirled around him in a disapproving swarm.

Bakugou desperately tried to block out the criticizing whispers and opinions of people who could never hope to understand the pressure and guilt he already placed upon himself for what he had done to his childhood hero. Citizens who took heroes and the life-threatening work they did for the good of humanity for granted. Talk about ungrateful little shits. If they had been subjected to even half of what his class had gone through, they would've shit their pants. All the while, begging the heroes, they all looked down on to rescue their sorry asses.

Bakugou tried to hide that their words were chinking away at his carefully forged armor behind an indifferent expression. However, he could do nothing to obscure the subtle tightening of his jaw, tensing of his broad shoulders, or the slight movement of his baggy jeans when his hands balled into angry fists within their deep pockets. Bakugou's shaking hands caused his whole body to vibrate ever so slightly as he endured the onslaught of the civilians' disapproval.

_This is why I hate taking the subway,_ Bakugou thought bitterly. This kind of thing happened more than one would think. It was the reason why he was relieved UA put the dorm system in place. Living on campus spared him the hassle of listening to this crap on the regular.

Curse his inconsistent ears. Most of the time, Bakugou struggled to hear what people were saying if they weren't right next to him, but whenever people talked smack about him, his hearing would pick up conversations from across a damn clearing it seemed like. What kind of fuckery was that?

To Bakugou's credit, not all the voices were negative. Some individuals defended him; a few even gave him praise. The ones who still recalled seeing him on a headline a few months back when his class saved a group of kids from a fire or, more recently, how he and Icyhot had saved several civilians immediately after getting their provincial licenses. Though the appreciation he received was intermittent, too few and far between to drown out the endless sea of complaints.

The only productive thing the explosive hero could do was keep his head held high. Overriding the instinct, which compelled him to break eye contact with anyone who happened to meet his eyes. Instead, he raised an inquisitive brow at them in a challenge, which would instantly force them to submit to him as all the fight left their being. These little victories pulled a smirk to his lips. Taking comfort that someday all these naysayers would have to eat their words when he proved himself by becoming the future number one hero.

_I'll show these fuckers. _

_I'll show all of them. _

_Just you wait, you're all going to be waiting in line to kiss my ass. _

A sweltering presence to his right removed him from his thoughts. Bakugou risked a glance at his copper-haired friend for the first time during this little excursion. Noticing that while Kyo's demeanor remained casual, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the two instigators. The softest growl sounded almost silently in his throat.

"Knock it off,"Bakugou ordered under his breath. Pretending to be interested in the scenery outside the window. He couldn't afford for the shinobi to unleash his wrath on these pompous punks, even if they deserved it. It would only serve to validate their opinions of him and the hero society as a whole.

Counting on the other teen's sharp ears to pick out his words even on such a crowded vehicle, he continued, "UA's reputation already hangs by a fucking thread because of me. The last thing the teachers need is for us to find ourselves at the center of another incident. _So. Back. The. Hell. Off!"_

Kyo's growl tapered off. The muscles in his rigid shoulders reluctantly relaxed gradually as the temperature returned to normal. With an aggravated sigh, the shinobi pulled an outdated iPod from his pocket. The purple case and Dead Kennedy stickers decorating it confirmed Bakugou's suspicions that he had borrowed it from Jirou before they left. The shinobi unceremoniously popped one of the earbuds into his ears before offering the other to Bakugou.

Usually, the ash-blonde would have refused his offer by slapping the object out of his hand. Still, Bakugou couldn't deny that listening to their classmate's punk rock playlist sounded like an appropriate distraction for their current situation. So without another word, Bakugou stepped closer to better accommodate the limited length of the cord. Choosing to ignore the peculiar looks, other patrons gave him as they huddled close together or the glint of mischief, reflecting in Kyo's eyes as he softly snapped his fingers in time with the music. Even overlooking how the two university students fanned themselves futility as their side of the subway became unbearably muggy. Rather, electing to focus on the music and permitting himself to get lost in the grungy lyrics of an entitled populace and the world they took for granted.

**_Mitsuki P. O. V._**

The steady sound of steel chopping down onto wood filled the kitchen, as nimble fingers prepared slabs of beef for the two hungry hero students due to arrive at any second. Impatient feminine crimson orbs glanced out the rapidly darkening window for what seemed to be the hundredth time that evening. Her purple slippered foot tapped the ground restlessly beside the head of a resting adolescent black and silver husky. The family pet Kaidan, or more affectionately known as _Kai, _had made himself at home after Katsuki had rescued him a few months prior. Already well accustomed to the Bakugou family's volatile mood swings to be disturbed by such a passive-aggressive action.

"It's not like that brat to be late," Mitsuki muttered to the dog quietly. Kaidan, however, didn't so much as twitch at her concerned voice in his supposed slumber. Annoyed, she purposefully dropped a tiny slab of raw meat to the mutt. The dog instantly snatched it out of the air before it had the chance to hit the floor. Gobbling down the beef in its entirety just as quickly. His tail thumping against the wooden floor in delight.

"I knew you were awake," the woman chuckled softly. Extending a hand to scratch the husky affectionately behind his erect ears. A smug grin identical to the one her son often adorned spread across her face when she felt the dog lean into her touch. "Don't you start rebelling against me too, Kai."

She turned her attention back to cooking dinner. Rubbing her unique blend of pepper, salt, and other spices into the pieces of beef before dipping them into the egg batter and rolled them with bread crumbs. Once they were coated to her satisfaction, Mitsuki dropped them into the sizzling pan of boiling oil to fry the cutlets up until they became a dazzling golden brown.

The mouth-watering smell of her Gyukatsu made the family pet's tail thump against the ground harder in anticipation. A soft whine rumbled in his throat as he gave her the cutest bi-colored puppy eyes he could muster. Caving, Mitsuki blew on her test cutlet softly before taking a tentative bite to check the flavor of her creation. With a pleased smile, she tossed the other half to the husky who scarfed it down greedily.

Kaidan's pointed ears twitched then. Perking expectantly at a sound too quiet for the ash-blonde woman to hear. _The brat must have finally arrived, _Mitsuki mused fondly as she cut another piece of meat for dinner.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed the husky rise silently to his feet. Kai then took up a somewhat protective stance in front of her instead of meeting her son at the door like usual. Marginally unnerved, Mitsuki tightened her grip on the large kitchen knife when she heard the sound of a key fumbling in the lock.

"Old hag, I'm home!" her son called out in his usual annoyed tone from somewhere out of sight. Followed by a low whistle that instantly grabbed Kai's attention.

Complying with his master's call, Kaidan calmly walked toward the front door and then disappeared down the side hallway. Seeing that the husky didn't sense any immediate threat, Mitsuki allowed herself to release the relieved sigh she had been holding in. All this trouble with Katsuki was steadily inflicting her with some kind of Motherly PTSD. Mitsuki would never admit it to her brat, but her biggest fear was him getting mixed up in some kind of danger he wouldn't be able to walk away from.

There was a sound of shuffling and muted muttering as the boys greeted the pup and took off their shoes in the entryway. Soon enough, an identical mess of ash-blonde hair came into view as Katsuki rounded the corner with Kaidan trailing obediently beside him. However, instead of seeing spiky red hair accompanying him, a mop of vivid copper hair lurked a safe distance behind.

"Something came up, so Kirishima had to stay on campus," Katsuki explained in a bored tone when he noticed her confused expression. He pointed a rude thumb at the boy, still lurking a few paces away. "This is his stand-in."

Out of habit, one of her eyes twitched in annoyance at her son's lack of warning of the change in plans. Mitsuki couldn't help but think that she should have expected him to pull a stunt like this. Especially after she went to all the trouble to prepare one of the redhead's favorite meals too! He was going to pay for catching her off guard like this.

_Don't think for a minute that I'm going to let you get away with embarrassing me like this. I see a slap to the back of your skull in your forecast, Katsuki!_

Shelving her frustrations, for the time being, she put on a friendly smile for their innocent guest. "Good evening, I'm this brat's mother, but you can call me Mitsuki," the ash-blonde woman greeted with a respectful nod of her head. Too busy drying off her hands after washing them to offer one to him.

"It really is a pleasure to have any of Katsuki's friends over. I'm always impressed that anyone can tolerate his crude personality," Mitsuki chuckled, deciding she couldn't resist finishing with a light-hearted jab at her son's expense.

Katsuki rolled his eyes at her remark. "Wonder who I learned that from, Hag."

The expletive, directed at her, didn't bother Mitsuki much. She had grown used to it over the years and often retaliated by calling him a brat as a result. Despite how ruthlessly they seemed to bicker and fight to untrained eyes, the glycerin quirk user knew neither of them harbored any real malice toward each other. The two of them simply sucked at expressing their feelings for one another or anyone for that matter. Yelling was the easiest way to vocalize the swarm of emotions that swirled violently through their person.

At the same time, the string of curse words that flowed so naturally from their mouths was their way of protecting themselves when they were at their most vulnerable. Mitsuki was fortunate that she had found such an understanding partner to help reign herself in when she went too far. Despite all the nagging and light rebuking slaps she dealt Katsuki, Mitsuki wished more than anything, that her prickly son would find his own special someone someday. Though if Mitsuki were completely honest, she was certain he already had.

"That's no way to speak to your mom," a new voice cut in. Taking her by surprise by how forceful he had sounded against Katsuki. Even Kirishima, whom her explosive son respected more than anyone, hardly ever spoke up to him like that. "She raised your sorry ass, didn't she? Then you should show her some more respect."

"Whatever," came Katsuki's dismissive response. Too preoccupied walking to the fridge to grab a couple of drinks to pay the other teen much attention.

Mitsuki had been too focused on Katsuki and her disappointment that her favorite redhead wasn't with him to pay much attention to the newcomer. Though he now had her undivided attention. The teen had a mop of slightly disheveled bright orange hair with long bangs that sometimes hung over his crimson eyes. He appeared to be the same height as Katsuki, but could even be slightly shorter if her son ever bothered to stop slouching to stand at his full height. Years of being in the fashion industry allowed her to accurately discern his lean and muscular frame despite being hidden behind oversized clothing. The teen was extremely attractive with a friendly and familiar underlying short-tempered aura about him. And yet something about him still nagged at the back of her mind. Something about him was vaguely familiar, but Mitsuki couldn't recall where she had seen him before.

_Something's not right here. _

"What did you say your name was, dear?" Mitsuki asked as sweet as she could.

A nervous laugh escaped from him then. "I hadn't had the chance to before. You can just call me Kyo," he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Her sharp eyes zeroing in on how his clothes moved with his tensing body.

"Kyo, huh?" the glycerin user repeated. Testing the name on her tongue carefully. Hoping that a memory would surface with the action.

_Yep, that name definitely sounds familiar. But where have I heard it?_

"Forgive me, sweety, with my age, I can't seem to remember if you were featured in the Sports Festival?"

It was Katsuki's turn to look uncomfortable. "He's a new transfer student, so he's only been in class for a month now," her son answered for the newcomer impatiently. With that, he grabbed hold of the copper-haired teen's sleeve and started to drag him toward the stairs. Not bothering to look back at her, he muttered a quick, "If you're done with your interrogation, we're gonna head up to my room until dinner is done."

Mitsuki let them take a few paces before hollering after them.

"Hey, Kyo?" she called. The teens stopped in their tracks at her authoritative tone. Dripping sweat clearly visible on both of their exposed necks. They didn't make any move to turn around, so she continued, "Tell me the truth. Is your surname Sohma?"

The question hung in the air for a few moments before the mystery student gave his answer. "No ma'am," he answered in an almost sorrowful tone.

Kyo risked a glance back at her. "My surname is Hitsuzen," he revealed reluctantly.

"Hmm, my mistake then," she hummed indifferently. Already shifting her focus back to finishing dinner. The chopping of her knife echoed ominously throughout the kitchen. The teens hovered on the stairs a few moments longer than they needed to, before silently scurrying to the safety of Katsuki's room.

An exasperated sigh escaped Mitsuki then. Her body slouched against the cold marble counter when she heard his bedroom door click shut. Covering her eyes with her hands, not minding in the least that they were covered in grime. This trouble magnet of a kid was going to be the death of her. She just knew it.

_A transfer student, huh? _

_Yeah right. _

_Katsuki, what have you gotten yourself into now?_

**_Bakugou P. O. V._**

The ash-blonde woman's growing interest in Kyo enveloped them like some kind of spectral talon. Bakugou could practically imagine its claws deliberately tightening its grip around them as if it intended to forcibly squeeze the answers from them. Her overwhelming presence kept both of them firmly rooted in place on the stairwell. However, as if suddenly bored, the pressure released its hold, almost causing the teens to stumble to the ground with its abrupt absence.

Wasting no time to question why they were set free, the two explosive teens swiftly scurried up the stairs like some hellspawn was hot on their heels. Their footsteps thumped as quietly as they could, to not further alert his mother that they were up to something they weren't supposed to. Not that it mattered, it was clear from the moment Kyo had opened his mouth that she was onto their little secret.

They closed the door to his bedroom with a soft **_click. _**Both of their backs braced against it as if they expected his mother to start forcing her way through, demanding answers at any second. But only silence met them from the other side of it. With a collective groan, they slid down it until they laid on the cold wooden floor side by side. Their breath coming in erratic bursts with the fear of already being caught by his mom of all people.

Granted, Bakugou knew she had incredibly sharp eyes with a keen intellect to boot. She was his mother, after all. Even still, the Old-Hag had never cared to pry herself into his business before. Trusting that Bakugou would never do anything stupid enough to jeopardize his dream to become the next Number One Hero. So, why did she decide to play the part of the overbearing mother now?

Maybe Bakugou getting involved with villains every other month was awakening some latent mother bear instinct or something? Regardless of the reason, they were so screwed if his mother figured them out now. The Old-Hag absolutely adored Aizawa. Practically smitten with him after hearing the praise he had for Bakugou after his kidnapping. She respected him greatly for recognizing the potential Bakugou had to become a great hero someday. She would surely report back to him in a heartbeat.

_Shit..._

"What the hell was that about?" Bakugou growled at his counterpart. Not really expecting him to have an answer for him. A hand tiredly pushed Kaidan's face away to prevent him from licking him in his weakened state.

"Your mom probably saw another world version of me in one of these books," Kyo retorted back breathlessly.

"She what?!" Bakugou muttered in surprise. Instantly pushing himself up onto his elbows to glare at the other teen. "What the fuck does that mean?"

The shinobi rolled his eyes at this.

"It means that there are infinite versions of people with the same face and name spread across every world in existence. If we are correct to assume that these books depict the lives of real people in other worlds, and she is indeed an avid reader of such stories. Then it is very likely that your mother has seen someone like me in one of her mangas," Kyo explained in a slow and demeaning tone.

"If you're so smart, why didn't you warn me this could be an issue?" the explosive hero shot back angrily. Not appreciating being talked down to like a child instead of the capable hero he was.

"Honestly, I didn't think she would put two and two together," Kyo admitted, pushing himself up into a sitting position.

"Sounds to me, you were too stupid to recognize the risk your presence creates," Bakugou muttered bitterly.

"It doesn't matter!" Kyo shot back, not totally denying the other explosion user's words. "Her recognizing me shouldn't be a problem. As far as your mom knows, I just look like a character from a book and nothing more."

Bakugou contemplated his words for a moment. "Assuming that's true, I think it would be in our best interest to proceed stealthily from this point on," the ash-blonde hero suggested. His gaze darted to the door briefly. The image of his mother cooking diligently downstairs fresh in his mind. "She'll become suspicious if she noticed us rifling through her manga collection immediately after recognizing the similarities between you and a fictional character."

"Makes sense," Kyo agreed. "So, where are they stashed?"

"They're boxed up in the attic," the explosive hero answered matter of fact, pointing at the ceiling. Smirking to himself when he saw the shinobi pale comically at the news.

"Great, we're screwed," Kyo huffed, crossing his arms.

"Just follow me," Bakugou muttered, grabbing hold of the front of the shinobi's sweater and pulled him toward his closet.

After reaching it, he released him to begin rifling through it. Shoving aside articles of clothing his parents had personally designed for him over the years. Adamantly pretending he didn't recognize the faintest traces of a cityscape, crudely drawn in crayon, peeling off the walls from his childhood days with Deku. The multiple lines of colors still stubbornly lingered on the walls like other aspects of his past. When he was finished, Bakugou turned back to the shinobi with the smuggest look on his face.

"You really are an idiot if you think I'd ever suggest anything without having a battle plan to back it up with," the hothead smirked, revealing a covered attic panel and a ladder hidden at the back of his closet. "It would've been better if we were able to use the entrance in the main hallway, but we'll just have to make do with this smaller opening for now."

"Hell yeah!" Kyo grinned.

It took the two explosive teens the better part of an hour to rummage through the Bakugou family's vast manga collection. Doing their best to work discreetly in the dark, cramped space as they crawled under endless cobwebs. Both having to periodically muffle their coughs and sneezes from the abundance of dust-covered possessions littered throughout it. Often halting their progress abruptly with every creak of the floorboards or accidental thump of a heavy box.

Bakugou had been too embarrassed to admit to Kyo, how invested he and his mother had been to these stories. Significantly downplaying how vast their combined collection was, which could easily rival that of a small library. Because of this, it took some digging to find the boxes dedicated to the Old-Hag's volumes.

Once located, the blonde carefully scooted them toward the opening connecting the attic to his room. Then he carefully lowered them to his copper-haired friend, who would then nicely stack them in the corner of his bedroom. Meanwhile, Kaidan guarded the door for them in case his mother came to spy on them.

"Damn, do you think you two bookworms have enough of these?" Kyo whined when they finished dragging the last box they could find from the crowded crawlspace. His heavy-lidded gaze drooped even more, causing him to rest his body against the tall stack for support. The future hero absently wondered if Kyo would have to take a short nap to regain his stamina before searching through them.

"Would you give it a rest already? It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place, CarrotTop," Bakugou hissed under his breath. He wasn't thrilled about this either. Seriously doubting whether this quest of theirs was even worth the work and stress it caused them. The hero-in-training blew the dust off a random book on the pile, before continuing, "Just hurry up and help me search through these. If we're lucky, we'll still find something useful in one of them."

However, before either of them could get far, a shrill voice cut through the air. "Boys, dinner's ready!" the Old-Hag called from downstairs. Practically giving them both a heart attack.

The scare jolted Kyo into action by scrambling to cover their stack of contraband with a blanket, while Bakugou ran to the door. Ready to shout back an explanation to excuse them from the bothersome ordeal altogether. But before he could get the words out, his mother cut him off.

"Be sure to wash your hands and march your butts down here before I come up there and drag you downstairs myself!" she threatened. Her no-nonsense tone easily conveyed that this was not an invitation, but an order. Leaving absolutely no room for debate. Sharing an uneasy glance with one another, they reluctantly abandoned their inquiry to obey her decree.

To say that it was stressful to sit around a table completely at his mother's mercy while he harbored a mysterious shinobi under her nose was putting it incredibly mildly. While the dinner itself was pretty tame. The underlying war of opposing wills raged on beneath the surface.

At first, his mother only asked the usual prying questions she subjected every classmate he brought home with. The supposedly innocent questions cleverly disguised how she attempted to find the weaknesses of their deceptive ruse. Little by little, getting closer to the truth about their house guest. How Bakugou managed not to show the soul-crushing apprehension he felt whenever her predatory gaze lingered on the copper-haired teen for even a second too long was a mystery even to him.

He envied his classmate's interrogation training. Kyo carried on with polite small talk like nothing was amiss. Stuffing his face with the Old-Hag's cooking while Bakugou picked at his food with his chopsticks. His nerves made his stomach flip with nausea to even think of eating more than a few bites.

"Mitsuki-sama, you're cooking is amazing!" Kyo praised enthusiastically, with a fanged grin on his face.

The carefree shinobi had scarfed down two plates already and was hastily worked through his third. The thought made the explosive hero's nose twitch in disgust. Subtly Bakugou dropped another piece of meat from his plate to Kaidan, who disposed of the evidence instantly.

"I see where Bakugou learned to cook. You'll have to give me the recipe for this Gyukatsu sometime!"

Mitsuki smiled shamelessly at all the compliments he showered her with. "Kyo-kun, you are too kind," the glycerin quirk user thanked cheerfully.

Turning her attention to Bakugou with a sly look of her own, she asked, "Katsuki, where have you been hiding your friend all this time?"

"Well, he's not my friend for starters," he denied in a cold tone.

The Old-Hag scoffed at this. "You don't have to lash out at others just because Kirishima couldn't be here," his mother rebuked. The statement nearly caused the ash-blonde teen to choke on his water.

_Fuck you for bringing that up!_

Noticing that her remark knocked her son off his game, Mitsuki locked her piercing gaze on Kyo. Playfully adding, "Don't let his rudeness get to you. He's like this with everyone."

_Shit, mom. Enough of the mind games._

Playing along, the copper-haired teen chuckled, "Yeah, I've noticed. Don't worry, I don't take any offense to it."

Her giggling slowly died down. "I've noticed. You both seem to enjoy each other's company. Do you, by any chance, have compatible quirks like Katsuki and Kirishima do?" she asked with a smile.

Bakugou's body instinctively tensed at her question. It was the first time since sitting down that she asked a critically intrusive question. The calm demeanor she portrayed never faltered as she awaited an answer. Terrifying Bakugou all the way down to his core. He was beginning to understand why his classmates were always so uneasy when he became perfectly neutral.

To hide his unease, Bakugou took a casual bite of his fried beef. Chewing on it boredly while pretending to the best of his ability that he wasn't hanging on every word being said or that he was hyper-aware of the Old-Hag's tacky nails tapping lightly on the table like a lioness waiting to pounce.

Without missing a beat, the shinobi replied, "I wouldn't say they are all that compatible, but they are fairly similar."

Acting like he couldn't feel the growing tension in the room, the shinobi took this opportunity to take a relaxing sip of water. Giving her a taste of her own medicine before answering, "My quirk is called Detonation." Kyo followed his reply with a quick summary of what his quirk entailed.

His mother nodded along to Kyo's explanation. She was well versed in the nurturing of explosive quirks. Having had to troubleshoot and discover a lot of this information for herself when raising Bakugou. Unlike in the past, quirks provided a new chaotic, and dangerous element to child-rearing. Instead of scrapbooking together a _Baby's First Photo Album_, many mothers in this day and age created meticulously intensive childhood quirk journals. Inscribed inside these albums were unique, tested out childcare methods dedicated to helping specific families. Because quirks tended to be passed on or merged with their parent's, it proved to be extremely beneficial to write down this vital information for future generations. Tracking quirks like a family's genealogy.

"I had enough trouble dealing with Katsuki's Explosion quirk," Mitsuki sighed in mock exasperation. Leaning back in her chair with the impressive grace that came along with a lifetime of dance and competitive volleyball. "How on earth did your mother manage your Detonation quirk?"

A sad expression crossed Kyo's features for a split second before he caught himself. "I dunno, but I'm sure my brothers and I gave her hell for it," he chuckled, but the smile never quite reached his crimson eyes.

His mother's expression was impossible to read. She had to have seen the brief crack in the shinobi's demeanor. There was no way she could have missed it. But rather than take advantage of it, Mitsuki had backed off.

"Alright brats, I'm sure you two have plans you're eager to get back to, so I'll take care of the dishes tonight," Mitsuki announced, standing to her feet. Gently retrieving the stack of plates beside their guest. With a wink, she added, "But you're both on clean up duty tomorrow, you hear?"

They both nodded.

With one last smile and a degrading ruffling of Bakugou's matching hair, she excused herself to the kitchen. Allowing them to finish the rest of their dinner in peace.

Bakugou observed his mother's movements carefully. Convinced she would try to sneak to his room to discover what they had been doing beforehand. However, true to her word, his mother spent the rest of her time dutifully clearing the rest of the table and washed the dishes in full view of them. A chore Mitsuki had always made Bakugou complete even if he had guests over. Upon finishing, the Old-Hag called up his dad. Acting exceptionally friendly as she laughed with him over some event that had transpired on his business trip. Not bothering to give either of them so much as a sideways glance.

Eager to be out of her line of sight, the explosive teens scarfed down the remains of their dinner. Mitsuki barely registered their presence as they stepped around her to swiftly rinse off their dishes before leaving them in the sink for her to finish. The glycerin quirk user dismissively waved at them in an attempt to shoo them off. Chuckling loudly as something her husband had said. Her nonchalant attitude rubbed Bakugou the wrong way long after they had once again closed the bedroom door firmly behind them.

"Not much gets past your mom, huh?" Kyo remarked in a deflated tone. Once again, collapsing onto the ash-blonde's bed without his permission.

Too exhausted to berate him for it, Bakugou sat beside him. "Yeah, no kidding," he hissed.

_We're so screwed._

A dejected sigh rushed out of Kyo's mouth a couple seconds before the shinobi rocked to his feet suddenly. Landing on his feet with a grace that didn't seem humanly possible. "Well, there's nothing we can do about her now, so we might as well continue with what we came here for," Kyo pointed out, already dusting off the first volume from the pile.

"Don't give me orders, Copycat," Bakugou snapped out of reflex. Though he was already following the other teen's lead. Lifting one of the boxes closer to comb through it from the comfort of his bed, while Kyo opted to sit cross-legged on the floor. Kaidan stationed at the door, acting as the blonde's ears in case his mother came snooping around.

After spending a couple hours scouring through the supernatural, mystical, and shojo themes within Mitsuki's collection, Bakugou eventually found a manga that seemed promising. The ash-blonde didn't know much about the copper-haired teen's mother other than her name. Even with the limited information at his disposal, the contrasting pair of the silver and black steeled kunai illustrated on the cover was unmistakable. The cherished weapons being one of the only surviving mementos Kyo still possessed of his deceased mother, Amaya.

The explosive hero set the book aside briefly. Deciding to keep his discovery a secret for the moment until he was able to discern if there were any more volumes from the series within the box he was currently searching. After a couple minutes of digging, his fingers softly brushed against the bottom of the cardboard box. Scowling, Bakugou had to come to terms that his mother had most likely only purchased the first volume.

The first book of any series did little more than introduce the characters, plot, and build the world for the reader. The starting manga's sole purpose was to grab the viewer's attention and leave them wanting more. It would hardly give Kyo the closure he desired, nor the extensive insight Bakugou craved. But it was a start, at least. They could now search for the series, possibly even read it online by typing the name of it in the search bar.

Insanely curious, Bakugou couldn't help but flip through it first. Images of a shinobi, skirmishes, powers, and a woman with wolf ears and tail jumped out at him from the pages. Over time his body instinctively relaxed into a comfortable sitting position as he became enthralled with the contents of its pages. It was a new reading experience knowing that the scenes depicted had actually occurred how they were shown. After a while, Bakugou lightly snapped the manga closed in his hand.

"Hey, salmon-breath. I think I found something," the explosive hero announced louder than he had meant. It wouldn't serve the hero well to get ahead of himself. They only had the one comic, and for all, Bakugou knew it could have merely been another world version of her. Though he highly doubted it.

Kyo's head immediately snapped up from where he had been lying on the ground. "Really? You sure?" he asked desperately. His crimson eyes reflecting with so much longing it was hard to stomach.

Bakugou graciously flipped the cover toward him. An audible gasp catching in the other teen's throat when he saw the drawing of the unique twin weapons.

_"Tsk_, of course, I am," he snapped impatiently. Slightly uncomfortable with the display of emotion from the supposed _cold-blooded _shinobi. "If you doubt me, then you can read it for yourself," he finished, casually tossing the book for him to inspect.

A few things seemed to happen simultaneously when Kyo caught the manga. The first being the sudden discharge of powerful energy that was released with a flash of holy light, the second it touched his skin. The force of it instantly threw the shinobi to the ground with a strangled hiss and solid **_thud_**.

When the dust cleared, it revealed the troubling sight of Kyo's unconscious form lying amongst the many scattered books. Only his body didn't appear like it usually did. His fingernails were elongated to create sharp claws, his already sharp teeth poked out of his slackened mouth farther than usual, but most troubling were the undeniably feline tail and ears sprouting from his..._ person. _

Bakugou could only stare in disbelief from where he sat on his bed. His crimson eyes trembling at the disturbing sight in front of him. The shock of what he just witnessed froze him in place while his mind tried to make sense out of what he just witnessed.

_How could this happen? It's not like Ribbons was here to cause this, right?_

The blonde glanced around stupidly. As if Bakugou expected her to randomly appear from his closet. The rest of his idiot friends in tow to announce the conclusion of some sort of outlandish prank. But his room remained vacant save for himself, his dog, and his otherworldly companion.

_No, this transformation had nothing to do with that girl._

Suspicious crimson eyes narrowed at the discarded graphic novel.

_Did the book cause this? Is it dangerous?_

That didn't make sense. Bakugou had touched the manga first, even skimmed its contents well before he had handed it over to the copper-haired teen. If it had indeed been the book. Wouldn't it have affected him in the same way?

_Then Kyo's transformation must have been his own doing somehow._

The sound of wheezing brought the hero back to his senses. Hesitantly, the hero-in-training carefully kneeled beside the sleeping form. Bakugou forced himself not to focus on the cat ears and sharp claws, but to concentrate on the shinobi's other features. Kyo's face was flushed with intense fever, sweat soaked his brow and dripped down the length of his cheeks periodically. The blonde didn't want to entertain the thought of how this might affect Kyo's Detonation quirk if his temperature continued to rise. It was difficult enough to discern if the heat rolling off of him was due to the fever or his abilities charging.

Pushing the thought aside, Bakugou continued to assess the shinobi's condition. The future hero took this opportunity to gingerly shake Kyo in an attempt to rouse him, but he remained unresponsive. What he found most worrying was his friend's erratic breathing, which came in rapid irregular bursts that occasionally hitched painfully in his throat when his body spasmed. This was entirely out of the realm of his limited medical training.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit!_

The explosive hero didn't have time to worry about what triggered Kyo's transformation. He had to focus on bringing down his fever before his condition worsened. Springing to his feet, he bolted out of the room to where he knew a first aid kit and other medical supplies were kept under the bathroom sink. Not bothering to close the door to his room fully in his haste.

His hands hurriedly fumbled through the bathroom cupboards for anything he thought might aid him. Managing to scrounge up a medical kit, a couple clean washcloths, a towel, ibuprofen, and a tub he could fill with cold water. Satisfied with his findings, he rushed back to his room to quickly drop these items off before attempting to sneak downstairs for ice. However, his heart sank when he noticed the door to his bedroom was now wide open.

A frustrated curse sounded under his breath at the sight of it. But having been left with no other choice, he begrudgingly returned to his room. Fully aware of what was going to be waiting for him when he rounded the corner.

Just as Bakugou had predicted, his mother was waiting for him to return. However, he didn't expect her to be sitting beside the resting cat form of Kyo, who laid restlessly on his bed with an icepack on his forehead. His fevered body already stripped of his baggy sweater, revealing the bandages that covered his right shoulder and down the length of his arm. She must have been stronger than Bakugou previously thought for her to have transferred the teen to his bunk so easily. Especially in the mere minutes, he had been gone.

Bakugou watched her warily as her hand gently scratched the oversized ears and ran through his copper locks intermittently. Seemingly unphased by the shinobi's drastic change in appearance. A pitiful whine escaped Kyo as he nestled further into the comforting touch.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bakugou challenged his mother from the doorway. Carelessly dumping the items, he had been carrying onto the ground. The scowl on his face intensified while he glared daggers at her. She had been acting weird ever since he had arrived home. It was high time he finally got some answers.

Mitsuki calmly met his glare. "I could ask the same of you," the Old-Hag countered, but her voice lacked its usual bite.

A nostalgic smile pulled at her lips then. "You know Katsuki, we're a lot alike," his mother announced out of nowhere in a wistful tone. Her attention fell back to the slumbering teen beside her. Taking the time to ruffle his hair in a sickeningly sweet gesture.

"We share the same face, temperament, drive, even our taste in men," she added with a half-hearted wink, though her son only growled at the comment.

She dropped her somber gaze to the floor then, "But it seems we also share a knack for getting roped into tricky situations," Mitsuki explained sullenly. Reaching around her back to pull a manga out from behind her. Holding it out for him to take.

Hoping to buy some extra time to think of an excuse, Bakugou humored her. Crossing the room in silence. Raising an inquisitive brow upon realizing this wasn't the volume he had uncovered earlier. There wasn't artwork on the cover, which Bakugou found odd, considering that was what urged people to pick up any given book. Unless the point was to be hidden within plain sight. Intrigued, he flipped it over to read the summary on the back and just about did a spit take.

This series wasn't about Kyo's deceased mother. This one centered around the adventure of a trio of shinobi who traveled across dimensions. Offering aid and protection to those in desperate need of it. The graphic novel even mentioned the three transfer students by name.

_Holy shit! _

This single book was everything the ash-blonde had hoped to find this weekend. Bakugou's fingers already moved to take a peek inside. Eager to finally snuff out any lingering doubts, he still harbored towards them as people.

"Katsuki!" his mother snapped sharply. Her booming voice startled him despite himself. The initial fear immediately melted away to leave room for irritation. Though before Bakugou could start hurling insults at her, she loudly remarked, "I wouldn't be so hasty delving into something you hardly understand."

"What do you mean?" Bakugou asked quietly, snapping the manga closed. Hating how he instantly followed his mother's instructions and how his voice shook slightly like he was a scolded child again.

_The Old-Hag let out an exasperated sigh. "Once you read what's inside, you'll never be able to go back to a time where you were oblivious to its contents," Mitsuki explained darkly. It unsettled Bakugou to be stared at so intensely by eyes exactly like his. "I'm not exaggerating when I say it will forever change how you carry yourself from this point on. Paving the way for you to be bonded to Kyo for the rest of your life." _

_"What the hell do you keep going on about?" Bakugou growled impatiently. Taking an aggressive step forward. He was getting sick of her interfering with his quest for answers. "It's obvious you know more than you're letting on. Do us all a favor and spit out the truth already, you old hag!" _

_Mitsuki remained silent. Her identical eyes conflicted as she bit her lip tentatively. The timid expression she willingly displayed irritated Bakugou to no end. The blatant vulnerability his mother showcased felt like a slap to the face_****_as he witnessed her confident persona reduced to someone incredibly inferior to the woman he looked up to throughout his youth. How could someone so strong-willed be utterly disconcerted by a simple question? She was a fucking Bakugou, wasn't she? His mother lost her privilege to play coy with him after dancing around the topic at hand for so long._

_"How the fuck do you know all this?" he urged again when his mother refused to answer his question._

_A wistful smile spread across her features then. "Because Katsuki, that is what you call _**_Hitsuzen_**_," Mitsuki chuckled to herself. Her tone implying that he had missed some kind of clever inside joke. _

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**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think I've finally settled on the right chapter length, but let me know if this is still too long. I'm also considering going back and splitting the last two chapter. Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you continue to keep reading. If you would be so kind as to give me kudos, likes or leave a review or comments on the story so far would be absolutely amazing. Not only does it help validate the work I've put into this story, but it also motivates me to update faster, knowing people are actually reading and enjoying it. You don't have to sing it praises either. Let me know if the chapters are too long, if I'm moving the plot to slow or if I need to add or cut out fight scenes or personal interactions. If you have a ship or friendship that you love, I can try to work that in.**

**Oh before I forget, I have another work entitled, Pleasant Nonsense, where I explain how Bakugou ended up getting Kaidan. You might recognize the first chapter as Kirishima's dream into the mountains. Well that because that story takes place immediately after. There's a few chapters published so far and I'll try to update it frequently, alongside this story. Though this work takes priority.**


	11. There Is Only Hitsuzen

**Hesci! I'm sorry it took so long to update. I ended up losing my notes for this chapter and had to start from scratch. Because of this, I decided to take a different approach by making this more of a conversation heavy chapter. I also added some stuff to the ending of the last chapter and reposted it at the beginning of this one. I'm not completely satisfied with it, but it was getting too long so I had to cut some stuff out. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_The Old-Hag let out an exasperated sigh. "Once you read what's inside, you'll never be able to go back to a time where you were oblivious to its contents," Mitsuki explained darkly. It unsettled Bakugou to be stared at so intensely by eyes exactly like his. "I'm not exaggerating when I say it will forever change how you carry yourself from this point on. Paving the way for you to be bonded to Kyo for the rest of your life." _

_"What the hell do you keep going on about?" Bakugou growled impatiently. Taking an aggressive step forward. He was getting sick of her interfering with his quest for answers. "It's obvious you know more than you're letting on. Do us all a favor and spit out the truth already, you old hag!" _

_Mitsuki remained silent. Her identical eyes conflicted as she bit her lip tentatively. The timid expression she willingly displayed irritated Bakugou to no end. The blatant vulnerability his mother showcased felt like a slap to the face__as he witnessed her confident persona reduced to someone incredibly inferior to the woman he looked up to throughout his youth. How could someone so strong-willed be utterly disconcerted by a simple question? She was a fucking Bakugou, wasn't she? His mother lost her privilege to play coy with him after dancing around the topic at hand for so long._

_"How the fuck do you know all this?" he urged again when his mother refused to answer his question._

_A wistful smile spread across her features then. "Because Katsuki, that is what you call _**_Hitsuzen_**_," Mitsuki chuckled to herself. Her tone implying that he had missed some kind of clever inside joke._

**Bakugou P. O. V.**

**_Hitsuzen;_**

A naturally foreordained event. A state in which other outcomes are impossible. A result which can only be obtained by a single causality and all other casualties would necessarily create different results. At least that's what the Kodansha Japanese desk dictionary defined it as in Bakugou's vocabulary work last semester. It also happened to be the twins' surname, which after stumbling upon their otherworldly secret, seemed like some kind of twisted cosmic joke to the explosive hero.

Two sets of identical eyes regarded each other in silence, though the emotions that reflected in each pair conflicted with the other. One burned with unrivaled irritation, while the second remained disturbingly thoughtful. Unsettled by the uncharacteristic calmness that resided within their depths, Bakugou tore his gaze from his overbearing mother.

"If you have something to say, just fucking say it already?" the teen growled to save face. Subconsciously transferring the majority of his weight on one leg with his arms crossed tightly against himself in a short-lived instance of self-consciousness. A degrading habit Bakugou steadily acquired after being repeatedly scolded by his teachers at UA, after a lifetime of receiving nothing but praise.

"I finally figured out how I know Kyo," his mother stated bluntly, which caused the blonde teen to stiffen ever so slightly despite himself. Mitsuki shifted slightly in her seat on the queen-sized bed. Her hand absently ran through the slumbering shinobi's copper locks beside her. Soft intermittent purrs rumbled in Kyo's throat as a result, which brought a kind smile to her face and a distrustful glare from the other teen.

"It took me a few moments to figure it out," his mother admitted after a brief pause. Taking a moment to replace the overused ice pack on the sleeping teen's burning forehead with a fresh one. The renewed coolness instantly helped soothe her restless charge, for his breathing immediately evened out until they became relaxed snores. "When I first saw him, I could have sworn he was the spitting image of a manga character I adored when I was younger. He even shared the same name, but the last name was all wrong. It wasn't until I heard his real surname that everything gradually clicked into place."

It took a tremendous amount of effort to retain the neutral expression on Bakugou's face. However, the explosive hero could do little about his fidgeting fingers, which drummed lightly against the inside of his arm without his permission. His developing hero sense flooded his system with unwanted adrenaline from his worsening nerves. A subtle bite of his inner lip luckily managed to curb most of his fighting instincts enough to keep the anxious tapping out of Mitsuki's ever-watchful line of sight.

"Is that so?" Bakugou chided in a cold tone. A vain attempt to dissuade her from continuing this conversation by highlighting the absurdity of her words. Perhaps if he managed to undercut her position, the young hero could convince his mother to mind her own business. "You don't honestly believe he's some fictional character come to life? Even _you_ have to realize how bat-shit crazy that sounds."

His mother made no indication that she had heard him. Instead, she continued on with her nostalgic recollection. Her attention fixated on lightly stroking Kyo's face as she spoke as if she craved physical confirmation that he was indeed real. "Like I could ever forget the Hitsuzen name. I was well acquainted with who I assume was his mother back in my early college days," Mitsuki revealed with a light-hearted smirk.

Before Bakugou could deny her claim by telling her that such an occurrence would have been impossible, that she must have been mistaken, his mother cut him off. "Yes, Amaya Hitsuzen. The girl with wolf ears and tail that traveled across dimensions," his mother stated in a manner that made it seem like she was talking to herself.

It felt as though Icyhot had frozen him in place with how Bakugou stood there utterly speechless. His mouth gaped stupidly as if he were one of his idiotic friends with the unexpected shock of his mother's statement.

_No fucking way…. _

The young ash-blonde's sweaty palms tightened into fists. Bakugou's hidden knuckles turned a striking shade of white with the strain he placed on his poor, abused joints. He absolutely refused to believe it.

_It's not fucking possible! My luck can't possibly be that craptastic!_

But the irrefutable truth stared back at him with knowing crimson orbs. Bakugou couldn't deny that her claim made remarkable sense. That it helped explain the inconsistency of her actions, her tenacious infatuation of the other teen, and her ample knowledge of a phenomenon the young hero still struggled to make sense of. However, no amount of logic could stop his persistent pride from arguing back with his mother. He'd rather spend a whole day with Deku than ever admit she was right about anything.

"_Tch,_ you can't be serious? Other worlds don't exist," Bakugou countered in the best belittling tone he could scrounge up. But it wasn't enough to conceal how incredibly weak his lie sounded to his own ears. The ash-blonde could practically feel the metaphorical wall he was backed up against. Even still, Bakugou gritted his teeth in preparation to stick to his guns to the bitter fucking end.

"And your only circumstantial proof is a name? It's just a fucking coincidence," he urged in an offhanded manner.

Mitsuki grinned at that. "Katsuki, I think you'll find that there's no such thing as coincidence. There is only Hitsuzen," his mother remarked wistfully.

_There's that word again. Why does the hag keep throwing that term in my face?_

"Yeah, I get it. Carrottop's name is ironic, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Mitsuki, however, ignored his question to ask one of her own. "Katsuki, you keep accusing me of knowing more than I'm saying, but the same could be said of you, couldn't it?" the ash-blonde woman inquired with a smug smirk. One of her long legs came to cross over the other in a fluid movement, reminiscent of the grace exhibited by a self-assured predator. "A few moments ago, you claimed that other _"worlds"_ don't exist, even though I clearly mentioned the existence of other _"dimensions"_ instead. Why's that?"

Bakugou visibly blanched at his critical mistake.

With her son rendered utterly speechless, Mitsuki carried on. Her predatory stare locked onto him as she stalked ever closer to the truth. "I'm only asking because it's uncommon for someone to suddenly change the terminology when discussing the same subject. By replacing a phrase, a person inadvertently discloses their level of knowledge on a given topic and reveals their preferences to the other person," Mitsuki lectured in a pompous tone, which of course, grated on the young hero's nerves.

It never ceased to irritate Bakugou how his mother could easily discern the subtle discrepancies of his behavior. How a civilian ever managed to possess such inhuman senses that seemed to rival most of the pro hero's he'd come to know was a complete mystery to him.

"If you're going to deceive someone, at least have the decency to craft a convincing delusion that you don't fall victim to yourself," she finished with a self-satisfied laugh.

_You're such a- _

Her widening grin infuriated Bakugou enough to cut off his train of thought. Mitsuki's smug expression blatantly revealed how much she enjoyed watching him seethe at the notion of being called out on his bullshit. The blonde couldn't even fault her for it either. It was a rookie mistake. One he would make sure to never repeat.

"How about we agree to stop lying to each other, shall we?" she proposed with a smirk.

"Only if that condition applies to you too," Bakugou growled back as he angrily leaned against the door frame. Silently scolding himself for being caught from a simple slip of the tongue. With an intensified glare, he hastily snapped, "I'm all ears when you're ready to fess up."

Her smirk deepened. "Fine, what do you want to know first?" his mother asked, settling into a more comfortable position on her son's comfy bed.

The hot-headed teen's right eye twitched at her arrogance. "How involved are you with this otherworldly crap?" Bakugou demanded impatiently. Believing it was as good enough place to start his interrogation.

"Not very much," she answered easily enough. "I've never left this world if that's what you're asking, nor would I ever want to. I only know what I've witnessed from my time with my dear friend, Amaya."

The teen quietly mulled over her answer. His mother was being surprisingly accommodating for once in her life. She had even provided more information in her response than he had initially anticipated. If he wanted that to continue, it would be in Bakugou's best interest to show her the same courtesy. The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.

In a snappish tone, the hero-in-training asked, "What's your connection to her?"

"Not so fast," the old hag interjected with a raised hand held out toward him. "It's my turn to ask a question."

"What?!" Bakugou protested with sparkling palms. "No fucking way!"

_"Katsuki!" _his mother growled in warning. First, to rebuke him for attempting to use his destructive quirk to enhance his position in an argument. And second, to remind him that she was not asking for his permission. Instead, she was ordering Bakugou to submit to her decree or pay the consequences for defying her.

"Fine, whatever," he conceded with a begrudging hiss. The bright sparks popping from his hands gradually dwindled down until they faded into nothingness. His canines grounded together in agitation with enough force; he wouldn't be surprised if he chipped a tooth...again.

_I knew this was going over too fucking smoothly._

"I'm right, aren't I?" she prompted with a stern voice. Her unnerving eyes narrowed at her stubborn brat as if she didn't fully trust Bakugou to answer truthfully. "Kyo is Amaya's son, who came from another world?"

"If you already know, what's the point in asking for confirmation?" the irritable teen huffed. Mildly insulted by her lack of confidence in him. He had already agreed to stop lying to her. Wasn't his word as a hero enough for her? "It's a fucking waste of a question."

"Just answer me."

_"Tch,_ yeah, you were right," Bakugou muttered reluctantly. The slightest trace of a pout dulling the effect of his trademark scowl. He expected his mother to look triumphant with his admission, but her expression remained unreadable. Mitsuki eventually nodded in response, urging him to ask his next question.

"How did you two meet? What was your relationship with her like?"

"That's two questions, brat."

"Just shut up and answer the questions, hag!" Bakugou snapped. His hands clenched tightly at his sides to keep himself from sparking his quirk to life. There was No point in angering his mother more than necessary.

Mitsuki rolled her eyes but complied with her son's heated request. "I met her during my freshman year at university. She sort of crash-landed into my dorm room if I'm completely honest," the woman reflected with a soft chuckle. The warm sound and light shaking of the mattress made Kaidan, who rested on the shinobi's other side protectively, whine faintly in protest. Bakugou had been so focused on his mother's unwelcome intrusion in his room, that he hadn't noticed the dog's presence before then.

The glycerin user offered the husky an apologetic pat on the head before finishing her answer. "She ended up staying with me while she was in this world, and we quickly became friends. It was during that time, I learned about her and how she traveled from world to world, helping anyone in need."

Bakugou hung onto his mother's every word. As far as he could tell, she was keeping her promise. Answering his questions every bit as truthfully as he was answering hers. Though he wasn't foolish enough to believe she wasn't omitting any crucial information, she might deem unfavorable from him. Even so, It was perplexing how much her experience with Kyo's mother closely mirrored his own. Whether that was encouraging or not was still up for debate.

It was his mother's turn to pose a question. "Why is Kyo in this world? Did he come here alone?" Mitsuki unexpectedly inquired in an authoritative tone. Her abrupt question, coupled with its serious inflection, caught Bakugou off guard. Especially since it was similar to the one he had just asked her a moment before, which she answered fondly. Her change in demeanor distracted him from the fact that she was guilty of asking two questions at once as well.

"No. He came here with his brother and a female shinobi," the explosive hero muttered warily. Awkwardly shifting his weight onto his other foot. "They're currently instructing my class how to fight without our quirks. So far, they've taught us martial arts and basic weapon training."

Deducing that asking two questions at once was no longer an issue, the explosive shinobi demanded, "What did his mother do in this world? Was she dangerous?"

"No, she wasn't dangerous," Bakugou's mother defended too fast for his liking. Her body tensed subconsciously from the teen's question. Symbolizing the first chink of her impenetrable armor. The vulnerability piqued the hero's curiosity, and he made a mental note to return to this topic in the future. Noticing her son's scrutinizing stare, she resumed with, "She could certainly hold her own in a fight, but she never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. Amaya didn't come here for any specific reason. She was just passing through but was fascinated by this world and the concept of quirks. She ended up staying longer than she intended. Doing vigilante work here and there."

The hot-headed teen allowed his body to relax a fraction of a degree with that confirmation. It didn't really matter all that much since the older kunoichi was a different entity than the trio currently residing in Japan. However, it was comforting, all the same, to know his new classmates weren't affiliated with someone with a villainous track record in this country.

_It's a start at the very least._

Crossing her arms to create a guarded stance, Mitsuki carefully implored,"How much has he told you about other dimensions? Or are the kids calling them _"worlds" _these days?"

The blonde teen rolled his eyes at his mother's quip. Childishly choosing to ignore it altogether. "He hasn't told me much," Bakugou muttered irritably. "I had only learned about this yesterday, which is why I had invited him over to learn more about it away from the good for nothing sidekicks I'm constantly surrounded by at school. Figured it wouldn't be a good thing for something like this to get exposed to a bunch of people."

His scowl morphed into a frown when he recalled how hurt Kirishima had looked when he canceled on him. It really sucked keeping this secret from the redhead, but information this dangerous could be disastrous if the wrong person overheard. "I know that there are apparently an infinite number of them and that doppelgangers of different people can be found on all of them. That's it."

Mitsuki nodded her approval.

Bakugou's answer to his mother's question prompted one of his own. "Why did Kyo's last name tip you off to who he was? If you know about other worlds, then you should know that other versions of people exist with the same names."

**"**Not that name," his mother began with a shake of her head.

The explosive teen raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her unwarranted declaration. Prodding her to finish her answer after a reluctant sigh. "Common definitions for Hitsuzen are inevitable, destiny, or fate, as the driving force in the world. For that reason, that name is exclusively reserved for a family that fights against the supposed _"inevitability"_ of unwanted fates. In a way, mocking the very concept they are named after," Mitsuki carefully explained.

After pausing a moment to catch her breath, she carried on. "That's how I knew he was related to her. Since you're around the same age, I assumed he was her son. Honestly, I should have known by the accent he spoke in. I suppose after hearing it so often, I must have grown accustomed to it."

A heavy silence fell over the two ash-blonde inhabitants, which was only broken by the echo of Kyo's soft panting. Eventually, Mitsuki quietly asked, "Who else knows the truth about them?"

"As far as I know, only Aizawa and I," Bakugou answered carefully. He wasn't sure how she would react to his teacher knowing about their background. Would she be relieved? Or troubled? It was anyone's guess at this point. And here, Bakugou had always thought his mother had always been predictable. "Aizawa was apparently there when they landed in this world. He offered to shelter them in exchange for them, teaching us defensive moves for the future. It seemed he also wanted to keep a close eye on them in case they caused any sort of trouble in our world."

"He would be in on this," She nodded to herself, while her fingers lightly rested on her chin. Mitsuki turned her attention to her suspicious brat with a sly expression. "I'm surprised you haven't told Kiri at the very least-"

"Alright, _Hag_, if you're all-knowing about this crap, then tell me what the hell happened to Kyo?" the explosive hero demanded impatiently. Pointing his chin to where his classmate weakly writhed on his bed in a strange cat-like form. Thick beads of sweat collecting on his brow from the intense unexplainable fever he suffered from.

"Looks like curiosity got the best of him," Mitsuki chuckled at her own joke as she scratched one of the copper-colored ears on top of the shinobi's head.

Bakugou aimed a fiery glare in her direction. "Spare me your lousy wisecracks," snarled the explosive hero in warning. His patience was wearing dangerously thin as the minutes ticked on.

His mother sighed heavily at his angry expression. Grimacing herself, Bakugou could only hypothesize meant she regretted teaching him how to make such a frightening face to get whatever he wanted. With renewed composure, she continued with, "It's complicated. It would be better if Kyo explained it to you."

Again, Bakugou motioned to the unconscious shinobi beside her. This time with an exaggerated wave of his hand. Inwardly pleased to finally give his mother a taste of the same level of sass he was always served with at school. "In case you haven't noticed, he's sort of indisposed at the moment. Just tell me what you know already."

"Fine," his mother complied unenthusiastically. Roughly brushing a few loose ash-blonde strands back into place.

Mitsuki's keen eyes swiftly assessed the current state of Bakugou's bedroom. Meticulously taking in the sight of the various books thrown about the place from Kyo being thrown backward by that strange ray of blinding light. "Judging by the mess in here, I assume you both discovered that these mangas are more than just fictional stories? That they instead depict glimpses into other dimensions?"

The hero-in-training snorted at her presumption. "Of course we did. We aren't stupid," he huffed, turning away from her somewhat. Visibly offended by her remark. Bakugou regarded the manga still in his hand warily. Absently wondering if he should still be holding it with how they had easily knocked Kyo out the second, the shinobi touched one.

"However, we didn't expect them to be so dangerous. Thatcopycat tried to read a manga about his mom and got knocked the fuck out by some weird discharge of power." As the future number one hero spoke, his voice steadily grew quieter. Until eventually, it was barely more than a subdued whisper. "Then he turned into...well that!"

A low knowledgeable hum grabbed Bakugou's attention. "What you described sounds about right. Just like you two, Amaya and I stumbled upon the truth of these books with similar results," she revealed thoughtfully. Gently ruffling her afflicted house guest's copper hair in a comforting gesture. Followed closely by a pitiful moan from Kyo, which stirred something unrecognizable within Bakugou. Noticing the blonde's reaction, his mother responded, "You don't have to worry about him. He should be just fine before too long. Kyo simply paid the price of prying into things not meant for his eyes."

Without prompting, his mother somberly began to recount what she witnessed during her time with her friend from another realm. Willingly sharing the information with Bakugou without him having to ask a question. Mitsuki described how they had happened upon the mangas one lazy afternoon. How together, they quickly discovered they depicted glimpses of other dimensions and even significant past and impending occurrences. She reflected that they had fun reading them together, but whenever Amaya touched one about a world she visited or one she would eventually travel to, the kunoichi would suddenly lose consciousness with a high fever.

The hot-headed hero listened to his mother's narrative in respectful silence. "So that's why you were so prepared when I came back," Bakugou commented aloud when his mother had finished speaking. Recalling how she had expertly moved Kyo to the bed and significantly reduced his imposing fever in the couple of minutes, the hero had left his friend unattended.

Even still, his scowl deepened. "If you knew this would happen, you could have warned us about the risks!" It wasn't so much a question, but an accusation.

"Well, I'm warning you now brat," his mother shot back through grit teeth. Despite the venom that dripped off of her words, it put the teen at ease, hearing her voice had regained a hint of its usual fire.

"_Tch, _let me see if I got this straight,"Bakugou began with an exasperated hiss. His fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to alleviate his heightened migraine. "What you're trying to say is that this psycho ended up like this because he was exposed to something he wasn't meant to learn yet? Even if I were to ignore how fucking vague that sounds. It still doesn't explain why he turned into some kind of cat hybrid," the teen summarized with a curt disposition.

The paper volume in his possession felt absurdly heavy in his hand, while the one concealed within his pocket felt uncomfortably warm with the waning of its previous released power. Regardless of the risk they potentially posed to his well being, the young hero was unwilling to part with them just yet. There was still so much more Bakugou wanted to know about Kyo, the other travelers, the existence of other worlds, all of it. The possibilities were fucking endless. And they beckoned to every fiber of his being with a ferocity he could never hope to put into words.

Mitsuki shrugged. "I can't say for sure, but my guess is his demonic nature manifested itself to heal him when he was knocked unconscious," Bakugou's mother hypothesized tentatively.

A vast stillness fell over the room as the implications of his mother's words sunk in. A skeptical red gaze darted back to the comatose teen. The hero's jaw slackened a bit in disbelief. "He's a what?"

_She couldn't be serious._

"I assume he hadn't mentioned that?" Mitsuki surmised offhandedly when she took in her son's troubled expression. Though most of her attention was focused on casually inspecting the trivial grime underneath her long painted fingernails.

"No, he didn't," Bakugou growled back in frustration. His mind still reeled with the new development. The hot-headed teen had no reason to start doubting his mother's words. But still, he couldn't fathom how Kyo could be what she described. "How the hell do _you_ know?"

"Katsuki, I realize this is a lot to take in, but it wouldn't kill you to use your brain before defaulting to blind irritation," Mitsuki rebuked with a huff. Thankfully, she was too far away to deal a physical blow to the back of his head along with the unwarranted advice. "Just think about it. If his mother had a demonic lineage, then it would make sense for her children to as well."

Bakugou barely resisted the urge to hit his mom then. It was fortunate he did, challenging her never ended well for him or the house for that matter. Instead, the blonde focused his energy on centering himself, but that was easier said than done. He felt like his skull was going to split in half with the absurdity of the notion of Kyo being a demon. At the same time, it didn't seem all that strange with everything else that had happened to the blonde lately. The explosive hero's life had become exceptionally complicated since attending UA. Bakugou never imagined he would envy the monotonous simplicity of his middle school days.

_If this was the type of insanity that Deku has to deal with daily, then the damn nerd could fucking have it, _Bakugou thought bitterly.

"Does his ancestry bother you?" his mother interjected, disrupting his thoughts.

The explosive hero took a moment to deliberate on that. His crimson gaze flickered back to Kyo while he did so. With a plethora of furry new additions altering the shinobi's physique, it wasn't precisely what Bakugou would have envisioned a demon to look like. To the future number one hero, a spawn of hell should effortlessly instill fear into all that gazed upon its grotesque form. Not make the girls of his class swoon with the fiend's endearing feline features.

Furthermore, Bakugou had already experienced pure evil before. The ash-blonde had naively thought he had felt its icy clutches when he was repeatedly plunged into an airless prison. When he was smothered by that slime villain during middle school, and once again, when that scorched motherfucker dragged him back into a dark evershifting void full of bonafide criminals. But all those encounters paled in comparison to the malice that wafted off of All For One during his brief encounter with him amongst the ruins of Kamino District. That Villain was a _true_ demon—a villainous monster without fucking equal, which this fledgling shinobi could never expect to measure up to. When you thought of it like that, Kyo's supposed _demonic_ form was actually quite laughable in comparison.

Midnight's voice echoed through the young hero's mind then._ "It's important to remember that one trait or act does not define a person. And that one's opinion of a person is not the same for everyone." _

Bakugou's joint therapy session with Kiri felt like a lifetime ago. Even so, he recalled his promise to not let external factors such as social constraints dictate or sway how he personally thought about an individual. _"If you couple that knowledge with your previous interactions with him, instead of his background, you'll be able to gauge what kind of person he truly is… Promise me you'll take these words to heart?" _

The ash-blonde swiftly reviewed his experiences with the mischievous shinobi, as well as other interactions Bakugou had witnessed. Memories of Kyo helping him design the new winter version of his hero costume, along with a much-needed upgrade for his ingenious gauntlets, came to mind. How the copper-haired teen had hand-built and hung a swing set on one of the cherry blossom trees in the dorm courtyard for the little horned girl when no one was available to take her to the park during finals week. His crimson gaze drifted to where Kaidan rested at the shinobi's feet of his own free will. The husky had repeatedly proven to be a great judge of a person's character. And while he wasn't exceptionally friendly toward the shinobi, he didn't outright avoid him or openly despise him either. Which was better than the mutt treated more than a few of Bakugou's classmates.

Bakugou was suddenly reminded of the exchange between Kyo and Ponytail that first week. How the degrading term had put the trio on edge. The explosive shinobi's unreasonable anger at being labeled as such, finally made sense to him. It was as if Kyo refused to solely be judged as a destructive force of nature instead of taking the rest of his qualities into account.

_It seems like the dominatrix broad knew what she was talking about after all._

Looking back at his mother, Bakugou recalled the numerous stories about paranormal creatures that she used to read to him before bed every night. More often not, the yokai, spirits, and cryptids weren't depicted as innately evil beings but were an essential positive influence within those stories. Mitsuki had raised Bakugou to regard these creatures with a reasonable level of respect instead of disgust. It stuck with him enough to influence how he named Kaidan and his blink quirk years later. _Did she do that on purpose?_

"No," Bakugou finally answered her question. Surprising himself by how undeniably genuine those words sounded to him.

His mother smiled at his answer. Mitsuki's crimson eyes welling with warmth and pride at her son's maturity.

With burning cheeks, the hero hastily changed the subject. "Do you know what makes these books so darn special? Why are they depicting people's lives?" the ash-blonde asked, turning his head away from her in a useless attempt to conceal his flushed face from her.

To Bakugou's disappointment, Mitsuki shook her head. "We never did figure that out," she admitted regretfully. With yet another heavy sigh, she leaned back in her seat in defeat. "My best guess is that some people possessed a quirk that allowed them to peer through the veil. They then illustrated the events they saw to make a living."

The blonde teen made a _"tch"_ sound at the illustrator's selfishness but otherwise remained quiet on the topic.

Her expression darkened. "Amaya of all people should have known the dangers that came along with meddling with fate for her own benefit. But the temptation to learn more about the future blinded her to the risks involved. Foolishly ignoring the warning signs, the universe was throwing at her."

"What signs?" Bakugou muttered to hide his confusion.

The explosive hero's mother went on to warn Bakugou of the dangers of learning too much about your own fate. That it was especially dangerous to try to meddle with the future for your own self-interest. How the universe will step in to prevent you from infringing on its territory, whether that be glimpsing the future or attempting to rewrite fate itself. How it would punish you greatly if you ignore their warnings. Often by creating a worse future for all involved, the more someone tried to change it.

She recounted how stubborn Amaya was. That she had become fixated on the novels until the kunoichi became obsessed with uncovering more of the secrets they harbored. How it eventually came back to bite her. _HARD._ Effectively changing the trajectory of her future in a devastating way, which left many people hurt in the process.

"While it sort of worked itself out in the end, it could have been so much worse," Mitsuki revealed sadly. Her clasped hands rested dejectedly in her lap. "Kyo's mother felt incredibly guilty for dragging others into her mess. So much, she fled this world shortly after that."

Bakugou's scowl deepened. He wasn't sure how he should feel about that. The kunoichi might not have intended to hurt anyone, but it didn't change the fact that she did. His fists clenched tighter when All Might's deflated smiling face came to mind. It wasn't like he was in any position to judge, though.

"What happened after that?" he prompted irritably.

There was a subtle tensing of her shoulders at his inquiry. "That's where things get a little more...complicated," his mother began cautiously. Shifting a little clumsily as she leaned back until her arms supported most of her weight, while she kept her piercing gaze averted from his. "Sometime after Amaya left, I happened upon the manga in your hand."

Mitsuki described how, at first, she was relieved that her friend managed to move on from the events that transpired in this world. However, Bakugou's mother quickly discovered that wasn't the case considering it followed the adventures of the kunoichi's children after her passing. Disheartened, the glycerin user continued reading the series out of morbid curiosity.

"I didn't think much of it at the time. I had grown numb to it and eventually forgot that it was real. But eventually, the universe caught up to me as well," his mother confided sullenly. Her long fingers grasped Bakugou's dark covers until they were balled into her clenched fists. "One day, I tried to pick up one of the newer volumes, and I suddenly collapsed as a result."

Bakugou's eyes narrowed in confusion at this revelation. "But that would mean…"

Mitsuki lowered her head. "Since I had seen the same thing happen countless times before, I wasn't willing to tangle with anything like that ever again. I immediately stopped reading them to protect myself. At least that's what I believed."

"What do you mean?"

She smiled sadly at that. "Well, as it turned out. The books weren't responding to me after all," Mitsuki revealed ominously. Her troubled crimson eyes regarded the young hero for a long moment.

Bakugou scowled back at her. "Me?" the teen guessed skeptically after doing the math in his head.

"You see, Masaru had panicked when I collapsed and had taken me to the hospital when I was unresponsive. It was during that little incursion that we discovered I was pregnant with you brat," she chuckled wistfully. One of her hands gently wrapping around her tummy protectively, as if her hot-tempered son was still in her womb. "It wasn't until I accidentally grazed one of the mangas after you were born, with no reaction, that I discovered I wasn't the one being targeted before."

"Tch, well, if that's the case, how come it's not affecting me now?" Bakugou scoffed in disbelief. Waving the volume for her in a flippant manner just in case her eyes had momentarily stopped working. He had heard enough. All this talk of fate had already begun to sound like a broken record to his aching ears. Unless it was about him becoming the next number one hero, the Fates' could shove all this other annoying crap up their asses. "If what you said were true, Shouldn't I be laid out flat like carrot top then?"

"Oh, really?" Mitsuki chided in a doubtful tone. "You think it's not affecting you, huh?"

An abrupt sound caused Bakugou to flinch. Blinking his angered eyes a few times, the hero's gaze eventually landed on the source of the sharp noise. His mother's long fingers were still held out expectantly in front of him in what could only be the end result of her snapping her fingers. An embarrassing slow reaction time that would have landed Bakugou in the remedial class with the rest of his squad had Aizawa been there to witness the shameful display.

"I know it's past your bedtime Katsuki, but you really should have realized how groggy you've been during this entire conversation. Look at you, you can barely keep your eyes open," she scolded softly while her eyes studied him carefully. Zeroing in on the subtle flushness of her son's pale face and the thin layer of sweat on his skin. "It may not be affecting you as hard as Kyo, but as you just saw, it's still affecting you. Holding onto it for so long has dulled your senses considerably. While it's true that earlier volumes pose less of a threat to your body. The initial contact always has the strongest effect, and the strength of someone's connection to the person depicted in the books tends to amplify its intensity."

Her words sounded muffled in the explosive hero's ears. It took more effort than he was willing to admit to hold himself together now that his fatigue was brought to his attention. But he was nothing if not absurdly tenacious. With an aggravated growl, he forced himself to stand straighter than he ever had before. Glaring at his mother as he did so as if daring her to comment on it further.

The ash-blonde teen regarded the manga in his sweating palm. The pages had already begun to soak up the volatile substance his quirk produced. It would be so easy to ignite it. To purge its existence and the danger it presented to this world, tempting even. Instead, his grip tightened around it possessively.

"Well aren't you an expert on the subject," the explosive hero grunted with crossed arms. Stubbornly ignoring how his abused body screamed for him to rest his weight against the doorframe, even if it were only for a few moments. "Didn't you claim not to know about the inner workings of this otherworldly crap?"

"I believe you had asked how involved I was with it," Mitsuki growled back. Not taking kindly to being accused of misleading him. "And as I've stated before, I try not to get involved with it. All I know is what I had personally witnessed."

His mother quickly recounted an instance when a four-year-old Bakugou had rifled through her manga stash and stumbled upon the first few volumes. How Mitsuki had been absolutely terrified. However, much to her relief, besides becoming slightly groggy when flipping through them, the preschooler was otherwise unharmed. The glycerin user could only hypothesize that the books were too complicated for Bakugou to understand at that age. Though to be safe, Mitsuki packed up her stash and hid them away from her ever-curious son.

The sorrowful expression his mother sported made the blonde teen uncomfortable. This conversation was getting a little too emotional for his liking. With an irritable scoff, Bakugou tried his hand at lightening the mood in the only way he knew how. "I thought you took them away because Deku tattled on me, and you never bothered to give them back," the hero accused childishly.

His mother's eye twitched in annoyance. "Well, can you blame me? You burned down his treehouse."

"He said he was bigger All Might fan than me. What was I supposed to do?" Bakugou defended in a nonchalant tone. Unable to see any fault with his childhood logic, even now.

The blonde woman sighed heavily at her son's stubbornness. "Katsuki, I say this with love, but you're a bit of a sociopath," his mother remarked in a deadpan voice. The explosive hero only grunted. Not denying that claim in the least.

With a softened expression, his mother carried on. "You know, Amaya had always joked that it was a preordained event that the two of us met. That there was _'no such thing as coincidence across the various worlds in existence. That there was only Hitsuzen.'"_ Bakugou's mother began in a nostalgic tone. Once again, playing with the feline ears resting on top of Kyo's slumbering head. "It was her favorite catchphrase of sorts. It never occurred to either of us that one day our children would be destined to meet as well. Especially with how everything ended between us."

"Seems you've inherited the habit," Bakugou muttered under his breath.

"Katsuki, if you continue to befriend these travelers, you increase your chances of your fate intertwining with theirs," the glycerin user cautioned with an unreadable expression shadowing her features. "Aligning yourself with people from other dimensions has the tendency to drag you into their mess. It's by no means their fault, it's just how the universe operates. Knowing the risks involved, are you still committed to interacting with Kyo?" she asked in a somber tone.

Taking a page out of her playbook. Bakugou dodged her question with a couple of his own. "How about you? Do you regret involving yourselves with his mother?"

"No," she admitted hesitantly. "But the circumstances weren't the same as they are for you."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"So, are you going to continue?" Mitsuki repeated once more.

"What if I am? Are you going to stop us?" challenged the young hero with a defiant step forward. His arms instinctively held out at his sides in his usual fighting stance.

Older crimson orbs widened slightly at the mention of _"us"_ instead of _"me," _only to return to normal a second later. "No, I won't stop you," Bakugou's mother responded after a thoughtful pause.

With stiff muscles, she casually pushed herself to her feet. The movement caused the metal bed frame to creak underneath her. Mitsuki took the time to rotate her shoulders. Stretching her arms out in front of her after she did so. The ash-blonde woman then offered her son a grin before continuing, "You wouldn't be my brat if you weren't irritatingly stubborn."

Bakugou smirked at the sentiment. It felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that he had some of the answers he had been craving since the shinobi's mysterious arrival. Along with the comfort that came along with encountering someone who had gone through this bizarre predicament before. Even if that person was his infuriating mother.

"We've both come too far to give up now," The explosive hero declared as his features twisted in that chaotic expression that never failed to scare his classmates. Though to his equally hot-tempered mother, the face he sported was nothing short of endearing. "I at least have resolved to pursue this until I've achieved what I have set out to do."

"Is it too much to hope that you will stop reading if you also begin to pass out?" she speculated as she walked toward the door. A hefty silence trailed behind her as she crossed the room. "I figured as much."

"_Tch,_ we promised to stop lying to one another," Bakugou shot back. His fiery gaze bored into hers. "Unless you intend for that to stop as well?"

This made his mother smile. "I wouldn't dream of it," the glycerin user reassured her son. She rested a tender hand on top of his spiky head. Ruffling his soft ash-blonde locks in an overly affectionate gesture as she had done a thousand times during his youth. And for the first time in a very long while, Bakugou allowed her to do so without complaint.

"Just be careful, alright? You've always been a trouble magnet, so don't push your luck," she chuckled in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the mood. Though the joke sat ominously in both of their minds. They both knew something monumental would end up happening because of this. They could feel it's approach like a bad dream. And Bakugou already had enough of those to last a fucking lifetime.

"Yeah," was all her son could think to respond with.

Mitsuki offered her son one last hair floof before planting a motherly kiss on top of the hothead's head, which he shrugged off when it lasted a fraction of a second too long. She snickered at his priceless reaction before exiting the room. Leaving her son alone with the other explosive teen.

A few minutes after his mother had left, Bakugou finally allowed himself to release the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. The wave of exhaustion he had been fighting eventually became too much for him to fend off. Stifling a yawn, the hero-in-training forced his aching muscles to reclaim the spot beside the unconscious teen.

Once seated, Bakugou regarded the ominous-looking comic in his slightly trembling hand. Tired eyes flickered to his classmate and back again. A determined **_"tch"_** sounded off his tongue as the ash-blonde cracked it open. Intent on following the perilous path he had chosen for himself. With that, he began to read the contents of the first page.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Like always, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and I hope you continue to keep reading. If you would be so kind as to give me kudos, likes or leave a review or comments on the story so far would be absolutely amazing. Not only does it help validate the work I've put into this story, but it also motivates me to update faster, knowing people are actually reading and enjoying it. You don't have to sing it praises either. Let me know if the chapters are too long, if I'm moving the plot to slow or if I need to add or cut out fight scenes or personal interactions. If you have a ship or friendship that you love, I can try to work that in.**

**I've gone back and redited previous chapters to fix the inconsistent grammar tenses, so it should be an easier read now. I also have another work called Pleasant Nonsense, which takes place a few months before this story.**


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